


Turnabout is Fair Play

by Coranam



Category: One Outs - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Decisions, Baseball, Drunk Bets, Gambling, M/M, Revenge, Teamwork
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2018-08-09 12:22:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 74,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7801723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coranam/pseuds/Coranam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It has been two months since Tokuchi Toa led the Lycaons to victory and disappeared. Takami Itsuki runs into him unexpectedly, and then decides to make a bet. Two weeks later, Toa begins his new job as an assistant coach for the Chiba Mariners.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading my first fic. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Thank you so much to KatenissEverdeen for being an amazing beta, and for all the wonderful ideas! The rating will most likely change in future chapters.

Itsuki couldn't help but second guess himself. Really, he has no business going to this party. He should be reviewing strategy, or attending off-season practice with a few other members of his team, but the call of some much needed socializing and a cold glass of something deadly calls his name, so here he was. Knocking on the door of his upstairs neighbors. After a moment of delay, Mitsuko opened the door. He had met her and her brother Takeo a year before, when he ran into them in the stairwell as they attempted to move a ridiculously heavy couch up the stairs. After he accepted a bribe of beer and pizza, he had helped them move that monstrosity, and they had been friendly ever since.

After entering, Mitsuko took him around, introducing him. Just as he was halfway to the kitchen, Takeo joined them, and started steering them towards the balcony. Just as they neared the door, he felt their eyes fixating onto his face.

"Hey, what are you guys looking at? Do you -" Itsuki began, before being cut off by the sight in front of him. It was him. He had no idea what he was doing here. He had just so happen to believe that Tokuchi had run off after the championships, and was off skulking somewhere with seedy casinos and cheap liquor. But no. He was here at this party, smoking a cigarette on the balcony looking as nonchalant as ever. Just as he was about to turn around to question his hosts, Tokuchi made eye contact, and for that one moment, the earth stood still.

These moments, however, never last long, and the world quickly descended into chaos.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Tokuchi asked, just as Itsuki whipped around to face Mitsuko. "What the hell is this?" He demanded, ignoring Tokuchi in favor of demanding answers from his "friends".

Mitsuko and Takeo took one last moment to drink in the shocked and disturbed reactions from the men in front of them before they rushed the door, and spun inside just as Tokuchi reached it, and attempted to shut it in their faces. Tokuchi however, didn't seem to like having his only escape route disappear, as he stuck his foot in the door to prevent Mitsuko's attempts at locking it, and got in Takeo's face.

"You think that this is equivalent to losing ten thousand yen?" Toa demanded, nose scrunching up in annoyance. "You think you can bother me by throwing that guy in my face?" Itsuki decided it would be best to back off at this point. It looks like Tokuchi is only getting started. "You obviously are obviously much more fixated on this than I am" Tokuchi continued. At this point, all eyes in the room were on them, and Itsuki felt that this is as good a time as any to leave. Booze be damned, he had had enough Tokuchi drama to last him a lifetime.

Just as he was about to really get started on Takeo, Toa heard a door slam. The source of his ire had done everyone a favor, and removed himself from the situation. It would be best if he did the same to spare himself from any more of this embarrassment these people called entertainment.

"Just so you know" Toa muttered, "I will be leaving" he looked around for a way to exit without making a scene. He spotted the liquor table. He got it. "And I will be taking these with me." He finished, scooping up all the bottles he could carry, and scurried out the door, ignoring the horrified cries of his former "friends".

Toa made his way down the stairs, only to come across Takami Itsuki standing in the stairwell, muttering to himself and pacing as he searched his pockets. The idiot had obviously forgotten something. Keys, probably. He had to get around him in a dignified manner. Just as he was about to breeze past him, Takami looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Don't let the door close-" Itsuki began before he heard a resounding clang behind Tokuchi. Well fuck. Judging by the startled look on Tokuchi's stupid face, he obviously had no idea what he had done. "You idiot!" Takami shouted "You let the door close!"

Toa was done. He had been run out of his friends' apartment, and now he was being shouted at by the root of the problem. "What are you talking about, you idiot?" he asked. "Why shouldn't I let the door close?"

To this, Takami let out a frustrated growl. "I don't have my card key to open the door, and they automatically lock after 10" He moaned. "We can get into the stairwell, but not out". Toa felt his stomach sink. Oh god, no. Not this. Takami ignored Toa's desire for him to shut up and continued "Unless you want to call those assholes and beg them to come get us, we are trapped until six".

Itsuki took a breath, and collapsed into a squat, cradling his head in his hands. He took this as an opportunity to take in the sight of Tokuchi. He is now slumping against the wall, gazing up at the ceiling, as if to question God, asking him why they were cursed. Then, his gaze fell to the copious amount of booze Tokuchi had probably taken from their hosts. This was most likely his idea of revenge. It was then his mood fell to "fuck it" levels, and he grabbed a bottle, opened it, and took a swig.

Toa stared openly at the madman before him. They were stuck in a stairwell together, and all he could do was drink copious amounts of alcohol. But then again, there was the alternative, and Toa could not see himself spending eight hours alone with this man sober. So Toa did one thing he did very rarely. He gave up. Grabbing an unopened bottle of something amber that singed his eyebrows when he opened it, he sat a few steps up from Takami. They sat in silence for another ten minutes before the threat of alcohol poisoning became a very real fear for the both of them, forcing them to abandon their bottles in favor of silence. And silent they were, for at least another half hour. Just as his ears started to ring from all the silence, Toa felt the weight of Takami's gaze. Glancing down, Toa made and maintained eye contact.

Itsuki could not believe the situation they were in. It was like a bad American sitcom. Tokuchi has nice eyes. He never seemed to notice that on the field, but then again, he had other things to worry about, like crushing Tokuchi and grinding the Lycaons into the dust. That was still a pretty attractive option, but they still had a good seven hours left stuck in this hellhole, and a good fight would only last a good seven minutes. Maybe three due to their intoxication. Maybe those Americans had it right. Maybe they should talk to each other and get to know one another. If anyone would extend the olive branch, it would be him. "So" Takami began, racking his mind for what to say next. "How did you meet Mitsuko and Takeo"? He asked in a poor attempt to make conversation.

Oh god no. Just no. Toa would be having none of this drunken bonding shit. None of it. He declined to answer, and instead stared at Takami with dead eyes. He would not blink until Takami looked away. That was sure to establish his dominance, and fix him up with another seven hours of sweet, sweet silence.

"So this is the way it is going to be" Itsuki thought to himself as he maintained eye contact with Tokuchi. No way was he going to look away first. This was going to stop now.

They maintained their stand off until both men were red eyed and irritable. Huffing, Toa looked away just as Takami lowered his head into his hands. This was going to be the longest six hours and fifty-five minutes of his life.

Tokuchi's silence lasted for another hour. One agonizing hour of them refusing to look at each other, pacing, drinking, and twiddling their thumbs. Itsuki allowed his previous buzz to wear off before sipping a bit more of the potato alcohol he so enjoyed. He was just drunk enough to tolerate Tokuchi, but not enough so to start talking about his college years. After ten more minutes, Tokuchi's strong will finally snapped.

"We used to play poker together back in high school" Toa muttered, choking back his pride. "I used to let them win every once in a while so they would keep bringing in fresh meat who didn't know how to win".

Itsuki looked up, startled out of his tipsy haze. He was sorely tempted to ignore Tokuchi's attempt to make conversation, but the threat of boredom was enough to make him reply. "You've known them since high school"? He asked, "How have you kept friends for that long"? He finished. Noting Toa's curled lip, Itsuki had moments to dodge the misplaced kick directed at him. "That's not nice" He said lamely.

"I have friends, moron". Toa stated. "They just aren't close friends, as you can tell". Takami seemed to consider this. "So why did they pull this stunt"? He asked, seeming genuinely curious. Toa considered his answer before replying "Because I humiliated Takeo. He was getting a bit too stuck up, so I took all of his cash in a game. He was probably more offended to learn I'd been going easy on him than he was about the money".

Itsuki could not comprehend the idea of Tokuchi going easy on someone, especially when money was involved. "So why did you do it"? He asked "Why were you going easy on him"? The corners of Tokuchi's smug mouth twitched when he replied "Because he was still useful at the time". Itsuki fixed his gaze behind Tokuchi's left shoulder. Of course that was it. There was not an ounce of compassion in this man. And he used the term "man" loosely.

"So," Toa begins "How do you know them"?

Takami replied immediately. "They're my neighbors. I helped move them in" How pedestrian. He could at least have made an effort to come up with something more interesting than that. They sat in silence after that. He couldn't think of anything he wanted to say to that man, and it seems that neither could he. It was after a pregnant pause that Takami asked "So how are the Lycaons doing?"

Toa let his head fall to the side and thud against the wall. His buzz was wearing off way too fast to be discussing this. "No idea" He said. "That's behind me now".

Itsuki couldn't believe this. He had heard about how Tokuchi had gotten on the team, and how he had been made to stay. What he couldn't comprehend however, is why left. He had led a team to the championships, and was beloved by the team and its fans, so how could he leave? "You are kind of a rotten bastard, you know"? Takami muttered, casting a dead eyed gaze over Tokuchi, who merely shrugged in acknowledgement.

Toa needed a cigarette, common courtesy be damned. He let his eyes fall on a chip in the plaster of the far wall as he lit up. A little less than four hours left to go. "How is your team doing"? He asked, trying his best not to sound smug. "Better" was the other man's reply. "We are finally getting back on track to where we need to be. But what some of us really need is a kick in the ass". Toa hummed in acknowledgement. He needed to change the subject. But before he could think of another asinine topic, he felt a hand rest on his knee.

"Hey," the other man began, "how about a bet?"


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takami suggests a bet

Toa was beginning to find this situation very unbelievable. He was trapped in a stairwell with the only man who was ever able to give him any trouble, they were both reasonably tipsy, and now bets are being suggested. This was like something out of a fever dream. Yet, despite the unlikely scenario, he was intrigued. You could always get him out of bed for a good gamble. “What kind of bet?” he asked.

Itsuki was taking a gamble just by bringing this up. This was by far the worst idea he’s ever had, but his loosened inhibitions were also loosening his tongue.

“A pretty high stakes one. If I win, then you give me one of your full bottles. If you win, then I will give you one of mine”. Tokuchi seemed to contemplate this for a moment before nodding his approval. He pulled out a deck of cards from his pocket. Itsuki couldn’t say he was surprised by a person like Tokuchi carrying around a deck of cards. The only problem was he didn’t know many games, and he had a feeling Tokuchi wasn’t thinking “go fish”. “Have you ever played Egyptian Ratscrew?” Tokuchi asked. It just so happened that he had.

They sat down facing each other, and split the cards evenly between them. Tokuchi started the pile, laying down a five of spades. Itsuki countered with a six of hearts, and the round progressed as such until Tokuchi laid down a king of spades. Takami laid down his only face card, a queen of hearts. Tokuchi quickly slapped the pile, grabbing all the cards for himself. When Itsuki was about to say something, Tokuchi shrugged and said “It was a marriage. You put a queen on my king”. He decided to let it slide, and watched as Tokuchi started the next round. They continued like this for a while, building up the pile until one of them remembered a rule and slapped it. After five or six rounds, Itsuki had significantly fewer bottles than Toa. That would not do. It was then he knew what he had to do. After placing his cards on the ground, Itsuki looked at Tokuchi with a predatory gleam in his eye.

“We’ve been playing this for a while. What do you say we switch to something else?” Tokuchi put down his cards and began to cut and shuffle the deck.

“Sure. What do you want to play next? Poker? Blackjack? Swedish Shrubbery?”

“Nah, I had something a bit more physical in mind” Takami stated. Tokuchi looked a bit taken aback.

“Listen” Tokuchi began before Itsuki cut him off.

“How about the first man to do thirty sit ups win?” He suggested. Tokuchi looked unusually relieved for someone ungifted in the athletic department. Tokuchi shrugged his assent, and lay down on his back. Takami joined him, and with a word they were off. Just as he reached thirty, he shouted “Done” and looked over at Tokuchi, who was struggling to sit up. “How many did you get to?”

“Twenty nine” Tokuchi said, a bit faster than usual.

“So it was pretty close, then!’ Itsuki said, taking a couple of Tokuchi’s bottles. “How about we go again so you have another chance” he suggested. Tokuchi shook his head at that.

“I think I’m done with sit ups for the night” he said, trying to will the contents of his stomach back to its rightful place.

They sat like that for a while, trying to think up other ways they could gamble, but both were far too drunk and tired to be coming up with anything.

“How about we try to bench press each other?” Takami suggested. Toa shook his head at that. There was no way he was lifting that heavy bastard up in this state. He was getting tired of these low stakes bets, anyway. They could only entertain him for so long.

“How about something a little more challenging, with higher stakes” he suggested wearily. Takami seemed to be okay with it, as he sat upright very quickly.

“That sounds good to me. I do have something in mind. Name your bet” he said, getting excited.

“What is yours?” Takami asked expectantly.

“Three hundred million yen, and a favor” Tokuchi said, feeling himself wake up and sober up a bit. Takami met his eyes and smiled.

“If I lose, I will give you three hundred million yen and a favor”. It was here where Itsuki had to steady himself. “If I win, you come help me bring the team together again. You don’t even have to help us reach the championships. We just need to get our focus back entirely”. His words were met with a blank stare.

“If you think I’m stupid enough to fall for that again, then why are you asking for my help?” was the other man’s reply.

“Because it could be interesting” Itsuki insisted.

“Not interested” Toa huffed, effectively ending the conversation. Before Takami could come up with another price, Tokuchi turned away from him.

Toa was at a crossroads. On one hand, three hundred million yen could buy more flashy cars and gold chains. On the other hand, the thought of going up against the Lycaons made him feel a certain way, and he did not like that. That was behind him now, and going back meant losing a piece of himself. But he did have fun. Toa made a decision. He was drunk and tired enough to say “If I do lose, I won’t be a player”. Takami perked up at hearing this.

“You could be a consultant, or an assistant coach, god knows you’ve had enough experience coaching a team” he responded. Toa finally acquiesced.

“What kind of bet?"

Itsuki sprung up from where he had been sitting, and stood over Toa.

“I was thinking” he began before he was cut off by a loud bang. Someone from the floor above them had entered the stairwell. The party must have ended. “Wait!” He cried, “I left my card key in my room, can you let us through?” The man took in their rumpled, tipsy state, sidled by them, and swiped his card at the door before moving on. Itsuki lunged for the door, opening it. He gestured for Tokuchi, who had been picking up the bottles both empty and full, to go through first. After pausing in front of his door to punch in his code into the keypad, he stepped inside, with Tokuchi close behind him. After depositing his precious cargo on the nearest flat surface, Tokuchi turned to face him.

“I suppose that the bet is off now, huh” Tokuchi stated. Takami faced him and shrugged.

“Not necessarily, I’m still down if you are”. Tokuchi cocked his head at this.

“So what kind of bet were you thinking?” he asked warily.

“I know just the thing” Itsuki murmured, grabbing a duffel bag from his closet. “Follow me”. This time as they left, he made sure to tuck his key into his pocket. He could not have this happen again. The elevator ride down was silent, as was their trek down the block.

As they reached the nearest park, Toa narrowed his eyes. They were heading towards a bare bones baseball diamond. He wasn’t sure he liked where this was going. After Takami dumped his duffel bag on a bench, he pulled out a bat and a ball. “I was thinking we could play that one outs game you like so much” the other man said. This was definitely not going the way Toa thought it would.

“That’s hardly fair” he stated, irritated. “We both know you can hit my pitches”. Takami gave him an unsettling smile.

“But this time, how about we switch. We both know you are terrible at batting, and I am a terrible pitcher. That way, we will be on an even playing field”. Now that sounded more interesting. Tokuchi had only ever batted a few times in one outs, and that had been a while ago. He had batted in the league games, but that was different. He could have a slight edge, as he might have a bit more batting practice than Takami had pitching practice.

He nodded his assent, and picked up the bat. He grabbed a rock from the ground, and scratched a rough rectangle in the concrete below the cage to represent the strike zone. Ignoring Takami’s scandalized look at the sight of the vandalized property, Toa adopted a closed stance over where the plate would be, and readied himself for the first pitch.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itsuki wins a bet and Toa makes a decision.

Itsuki readied himself, and threw his first pitch. Like Tokuchi, he could not throw a single breaking ball. His fastball whizzed by Tokuchi, and hit the far upper left hand corner of the cage. Tokuchi blinked at Itsuki, and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. As Itsuki readied himself for the second pitch, he almost smiled. He had no idea how he had managed to finagle Tokuchi into this situation. Tokuchi had a hell of a lot more to lose than he did. Just then, he released the ball, sending it careening dangerously close to Tokuchi’s hands. Tokuchi obviously did not appreciate it as he pointed to the bat, then to Itsuki’s head. Right, he would not be trying that again. He braced himself for what he hoped to be the final pitch. He wound up, and released the ball, only for Tokuchi to make contact. Only it happened to be poor contact, as the ball bounced uselessly off the bat onto the ground, where it rolled a few yards right to the border of out zone. Tokuchi took one long hard look at the ball and turned to Itsuki. “Fuck off” were his only words.

Toa must be some kind of masochist to keep signing his life away like this. Why had he thought it was a good idea to pull this shit again? Oh, yeah. Money. At least it was more than last time, and no retirement bullshit mixed in. But that didn’t lessen the sting. He felt hot and cold at the same time. His stomach dropped. Not that he was showing any of this. On the outside, he looked cool as a cucumber.

Itsuki thought Tokuchi was about to throw up. Or punch him. Maybe both. “You okay?” he asked hesitantly.

“Yeah” was the other man’s only reply. “When do I start?” He asked in a slightly dazed voice. 

“Let me talk to the coach first. Then I will let you know”. The walk back to the complex was done in silence. Just as they reached the parking lot, the sun began to peek over the skyline of the city in the distance. After they exchanged phone numbers Tokuchi turned to leave. “Are you going to be okay getting home?” He asked, thinking of the boozy all nighter they had survived.

“I’ll be fine” Tokuchi replied, as if still in a daze. Itsuki watched as Tokuchi got in his flashy car, and drove off into the sunrise. This would not be fun to explain to the coach. Or their owner.

Over the next couple of days, Takami spent the vast majority of his time convincing, begging, prodding, and pleading with his coach and Owner Tsutsumishita. Finally, he had secured a place for Tokuchi as the assistant coach’s assistant. The pay would be less than stellar, and the hours would be worse, but it was a decent salaried position, which he should hopefully be okay with. He wouldn’t be getting any flashy cars, but he would get to see more of the inner workings of the baseball world, and most people in his age range would jump for that job.

 

Toa was feeling less than stellar. He was nursing a hangover, dealing with another big move, getting ready to start a new job, and he was about to meet up with someone he thought he would never see again. He had meant to do this errand a long time ago, but he had kept putting it off for reasons beyond his comprehension. When he walked into the team conference room, he saw Kojima sitting down with his back to him. As he made his way over, he felt dread in the pit of his stomach. He should have just done this through the mail, and be done with it. But he had to explain what he was about to do, so they didn’t misinterpret him. Not so much as to spare their feelings, but to spare his neck in case they tried to jump him after going AWOL for half a year. He sat down next to Kojima, who met his eyes, and smiled wearily at him. He obviously knew this was not a social call. Toa, who intended to keep this a business-like and impersonal as possible, brought out the sheaf of documents that he had already signed. They only needed Kojima’s signatures and initials, and they could be on their way.

“If you’re here for the reason I think you’re here, then I’m guessing this is the end of your relationship with the Lycaons” Kojima murmured.

“If you think I’m here to sign the team over to you, then you are absolutely right” Toa stated. He set the sheaf in front of Kojima, who was significantly paler than when he had first sat down. 

“Why me?” he asked. 

“Who more than you deserves it?” Toa asked, letting this be the only emotional moment of the day. “I know you won’t let them fall apart like anyone else might”. As Kojima slowly started signing and initialing, Toa gave him a rundown of what would be happening in the next few months.

“So you are going turncoat on us, huh” Kojima said. “Which team will you switch to next?” Toa couldn’t quite tell whether he was just teasing him, or whether he was seriously hurt. Most likely both. He had a right to be. He was being kind of a bastard, abandoning them and switching teams.

After Kojima finished signing, Tokuchi stood up, collecting the papers. “After these get notarized, I will mail these in. The other owners have already been alerted”. With that, he stood up, considered clapping Kojima on the shoulder in a friendly fashion, but quickly reconsidered. He never did those gestures when he was on the team, so there was no reason to start now. He turned on his heel, and walked out of the stadium as fast as he could. The next time he would be here, he would be trying his hardest to bring about the victory of another team.


	4. Chapter Four

It was the first day of Toa's new job, and he could not dread it more. He would be given his assignments, and introduced to the team. Whom he had to bring together again. After tearing them apart. At least he had had fun doing it.

He pulled into the stadium employee parking lot, and made his way inside; ignoring the looks he got from some of the stadium staff. One glare from some intern would not faze him. He had gone through worse.

Two hours later, he was trying to think of a situation that was worse. He had met with the coaching staff, and it would appear he was not the most popular person on the team. He didn't really expect to be popular, but when he received his duties, it became apparent that he had a long way to go before he could make any progress. Forget ignoring the interns- he might as well be one. His duties included sorting recruiting documents, running files to and from the marketing agency four miles away, getting coffee, making photocopies, and doing whatever else the coaching staff told him to do. All of these duties in addition to bringing the team together, and refocusing them. Toa was less than ecstatic.

He began his day by running the newest recruiting rosters between Coach Imawano and his boss, Assistant Coach Takahashi. They were favoring recruits from the Toudai by far this year. After filing away the rosters, he ran out to the maintenance shed to take inventory for the maintenance staff. They were dangerously low on dirt and chalk, so he made sure to make note of that in his to do list. He would have to discuss the ordering process with the head of maintenance. After making his rounds of the stadium and collecting inventory from the first, second, and third base coaches, he made his way back to the supply closet that served as his office. He still had to make a coffee run, introduce himself to the new interns, and put together a team building schedule for Coach Imawano. He felt about ten years older. He still had to wade through all of these monotonous tasks before he could even get started on what he was here to do, and even then, he was slowed down by bureaucratic bullshit. After arriving, he was informed that "things work differently here" and the methods that he used with the Lycaons "would not be acceptable". They loved making his job as miserable as they could.

After what seemed like an eternity, Toa had finally finished all of his duties for that day. He had gone out for coffee, gotten back only to have the coaching staff change their orders and send him back not once, but twice. His meeting with the interns was awkward at best. None of them knew how to interact with him, and that was true the other way around. They were about the same age, and that was where what they had in common ended. He may have to work on that later. He had finally put together a schedule that Coach Imawano had finally approved of, but it was filled with useless drivel like trust falls. No way was he going to get anywhere with weak garbage like that. Work completed, he took an opportunity to glance at the clock, only to realize that it was eight o'clock. He had taken an entire day to do a short list of glorified chores. He hadn't even had time to take his lunch. Just then, he heard a knock on his door.

"Anybody in there?" Itsuki asked, wondering if Tokuchi hadn't already started to head home. Since it was the offseason, most of the coaching staff liked to head home a bit earlier than usual. Right as he was about to turn around and head home himself, the door opened, and Tokuchi emerged, looking a bit worse for wear.

"What do you want?" Toa asked warily. He hadn't seen much of Takami since their ill-fated match. He had no idea what he was doing here now.

"I was thinking we could go out for a drink or something. You look like you've had a hell of a day" Takami said.

Toa had to suppress a shudder. "Better not. Remember what happened last time?" he said, trying not to think about what another drunken night might bring about.

"Ah, you've got a point" Itsuki murmured. "How about coffee, then? I know a pretty good place near here".

Toa seriously considered turning him down, he really did. But after the day he had, he needed some caffeine, later hour be damned. Thinking back to his new apartment and the empty refrigerator, a scone didn't sound bad either, considering the one meal he had managed to fit in that day. "Sure" he said as casually as he could.

They made their way outside, and Takami stopped by a light blue sedan. "Hop in" he said nonchalantly. "It's a bit far to walk, so I can drop you off by your car afterwards". Toa gave him an incredulous look before getting in. It was a mid-priced sensible car. Why he had it when he could afford better was beyond Toa. No matter, he was off to get his fix. After a few minutes, they pulled into the parking lot of a short building with large windows. Once they entered, Toa looked around. It was a small local looking place. Lots of comfortable chairs and desks, none of which matched. Takami walked up to the counter and ordered a chai latte. After reading the menu, Toa ordered a house blend coffee with room for cream and a scone. Takami led them to a couple of chairs by the window to wait for their drinks. There was a drawn out silence that quickly turned from comfortable to awkward. At least Takami was polite enough to not comment on how fast he had finished his scone.

"How was your day?" Itsuki asked, genuinely curious. He wondered how Tokuchi was handling all his new responsibilities.

"Busy" Tokuchi said, not making eye contact.

"Did you not have time to eat?" Itsuki asked, feeling a bit smug. Tokuchi had contributed to the mess they were in. He might as well suffer a bit while he fixes it.

"I had other things to do". Tokuchi looked as if he was going to say more, but the barista called them to come get their drinks.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes as they enjoyed their drinks. "You've had a day, haven't you?" Takami asked, peering over at Tokuchi.

Toa felt it was safe to respond. "They kept me busy. My patience is being tested".

Takami seemed to find that funny. "They tested your stamina too, didn't they"? he asked, giving Toa a wry smile. "Maybe this is what you really needed to get ahead on the field".

Toa glanced over at the other man, and raised an eyebrow. "I needed your help to win like a fish needs a bicycle".

Takami did his best to look scandalized. "I facilitated this amazing experience for you, and this is how you thank me?" he said, doing his best to keep a straight face.

Toa was less than impressed. He tipped his mug towards Takami, threatening to spill the scalding liquid on his lap. "I'll show you my thanks in due time" he said ominously.

The rest of the evening passed quietly. After they finished their drinks, Itsuki dropped Tokuchi off by his car and headed home. As he passed the stairwell without a glance, he pressed the "up" button on the elevator. As he watched the numbers tick down to the ground floor, he heard familiar voices. Mitsuko and Takeo. As soon as he heard the chime of the elevator opening, he rushed in, and repeatedly pressed the "close door" button. He was not ready for that confrontation. After getting off on his floor, he scooted into his apartment, yanked off his shoes, and flopped down on the couch. As he relaxed, he couldn't help but think back on the past few days and wonder if he did the right thing. Whatever the outcome, at least he got to put Tokuchi in his place a little bit after last season's defeat. That would make it all worth it.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toa makes a mistake and Itsuki reflects

Toa was sitting in his office, wasting time. Yesterday, he hadn’t had much interaction with the team, but today, contact would be unavoidable. He had already ordered all the supplies the coaching staff needed, and the team roster was finalized and submitted. He was supposed to be on the field in ten minutes to meet with the team and formally introduce himself as Assistant Coach Takahashi’s new assistant. He would be present during training, drills, and practice games before they broke left for winter break, and after they came back for spring training. The team most likely knew what was coming, seeing as he’d been running around the stadium like a madman the previous day. Hopefully Coach Imawano and Takami had told them all the details so they didn’t try to attack him out of shock. He would speak slowly, and avoid any sudden movements. As the minutes ticked by, he stood up and walked out of his office. He might as well stop trying to delay the inevitable.

As Toa made his way towards the field, he saw the team clustered around the coach. When he got closer, he caught the attention of several players. They didn’t exactly look thrilled. Kawanaka, Amami, and Brooklyn he remembered, and judging by their looks, they apparently remembered him as well. No matter, as long as they didn’t tear anyone to shreds, his job would be done. No need to get anyone to like him.

Toa stood by Coach Imawano, and waited for his formal introduction. While he stood there, he kept his head held high with a neutral expression, and his feet shoulder width apart. He decided it best to look confident, but not cocky.

“Anyway,” Coach Imawano said “This is Tokuchi. You all remember him from last year. No need for introductions”. At this, a few of the pitchers started to look a bit unsettled. “He will be Coach Takahashi’s new assistant. He’s been recruited to help us come together for the new season. Try to get along”. Kira and Mizuhashi looked a bit relieved. With that, Imawano was finished with him, and moved on to discuss the regimen the different coaches would be going over with each group of players for the last half of their postseason practice schedule. Tokuchi would oversee the practice with a few other observers to get a feel for the team dynamic.

After watching for a while, Toa started to get an idea of what may be the team’s biggest flaws. The first and foremost issue they would have to address would be communication. They would also have to work on basic teamwork. It would seem that there were still several players who would not interact with each other. They also needed to learn more basic teamwork. On an individual level, everyone had overwhelming skill, but as a whole, they had issues utilizing those skills when in action. Fair balls had dropped between Takami and Kira several times due to each thinking the other had it. Thomas missed an easy pitch because he had misread a sign. It was these little mistakes that could really add up to make the team brittle and uncertain.

After observing for a while, he made his observations known to Coach Imawano, who surprisingly took his word for it. He most likely had noticed it himself, but decided it best to delegate the issue.

When practice ended, Coach Imawano gathered the outfielders, and ordered them to meet with Tokuchi to go over some suggested improvements. Brooklyn and Amami didn’t look too pleased to hear that. When they had all settled down in one of the meeting rooms in the clubhouse, Tokuchi entered, and stood at the front of the room.

“When I observed your practice today, I noticed several issues in your teamwork” he said slowly. “What I noticed was that most of the mistakes you made lead back to miscommunication” he continued, looking over in Amami’s direction. “If you intend to make it very far this season, then you will have to work on communicating effectively, and without letting yourselves be caught up in any outside distractions” he said, glancing over to Brooklyn. Takami tried not to cringe. Tokuchi was obviously trying to bait them. That might not go over well, especially with Brooklyn.

“Why are you lecturing us about teamwork when you’re pretty much the root of the problem?” Yamakawa asked suddenly, drawing their attention.

Tokuchi was not fazed. “The issues were already there” he said, “I just happened to see them for what they were”.

Yamakawa looked less than satisfied, but he kept quiet. He probably wanted to avoid making a scene.

Tokuchi sighed. “The only reason I was able to do what I did was because there seemed to be a disconnect between the players brought in by the trade and some of the players that were displaced” he said as he looked around the room. “My intention today was to inform, and not to argue. I will leave you with that information”. With that, he turned and left.

The room erupted into a low hum of angry muttering and discontented murmurs. Amami and Brooklyn hadn’t broken off into their own little segmented groups, but that was more likely to prove a point than to actually improve. Takami stood up and did his best to get their attention.

“I know it isn’t great having him here” he said, and a few heads turned. “I know it might not have been right for me to bring him here” he continued, and with that, he had the room’s attention. “I just think we should give him a chance to help fix what he did” Takami said, very aware that he was probably becoming less popular by the second. “If we don’t, we might just finish what he started”. After finishing, he swept out of the room, and ambled towards Tokuchi’s glorified broom closet, hoping to catch him before he left.

Itsuki caught Tokuchi right as he was about to leave. “What the hell was that?” he asked loudly, catching Tokuchi by his elbow. “Why were you baiting them?” The blank look on Tokuchi’s face only served to anger him more. “You’re supposed to be bringing them together, not starting fights”.  
Tokuchi yanked his arm away, and got in his face. “I was proving a point” he said. “They obviously don’t see how their ignorance is working against them”.  
Itsuki shook his head. “Still” he continued “There is absolutely no need for you to antagonize Brooklyn and Amami like that. We all know you saw a weakness and exploited it, but that doesn’t mean you have to rub it in”.

Tokuchi rolled his eyes at that. “Really” he said nonchalantly “You are being dramatic. They’re grown men, and they can advocate for themselves”.

“Whatever” Itsuki spat. “Just try not to be an asshole next time”. After gauging Tokuchi’s expressionless face, he turned on his heel and stormed away.

Toa stood there for a few moments, allowing himself to calm down a bit. He had honestly thought that Takami was going to escalate that spat to a physical altercation. Thankfully, he seemed to have more self-control than that. He locked up his office, and made his way out to his car. This would be a lot harder than he had previously anticipated.

The next day when he walked up to his office, Takami was already there, waiting for him. Toa stayed on guard, readying himself in case a punch came his way. But none did. Instead, Takami walked up to him, looking somber.

“Listen” the other man began “I’m sorry about going off on you yesterday”. Now that was unexpected. Before Toa could say anything, Takami continued “I just want you to try and get along with the rest of the team. Brooklyn can be hotheaded, but he really is a great guy. And Amami is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. You just need to put in some effort, and stop antagonizing them. If you just show them you’re invested, they’ll be on your side”.

Toa heaved a sigh. “So you came by to apologize and tell me to play nice”. Takami gave a little half shrug, and stood there expectantly. Great, now he probably expected an apology. But none would come. “I will do my best to not antagonize anyone on purpose” Toa acquiesced. “But don’t expect me to go out of my way to make friends”.

Takami sighed. “I wouldn’t expect anything more” he said, before walking away.

After that day’s practice, Toa gathered the players that hadn’t been at the previous day’s meeting. He noticed that Kawanaka and Thomas were sitting front and center, eyes boring holes in his head. They must have heard how the previous day’s meeting must have gone. It would be fine though, he would take Takami’s advice to heart and try and antagonize them a bit less.

“I will keep this short” he said, standing up. “What you need to work on is communication. So far that has been your biggest issue, and the root of pretty much all of your problems”. Before he could go on, Kawanaka interrupted him.

“From the way I see it you were the one that ruined everything last season” Kawanaka said, with a sharp edge to his voice. “In my opinion, you and your bullshit comments were the root of all our problems” he said loudly. Toa had a choice to make. He could engage, and feel good about himself, or take the high road in hopes of earning the team’s respect.

“If you had communicated better, I wouldn’t have been a problem for you” Toa said simply, making his choice. “Maybe if you had noticed the flaws in your infrastructure earlier, my comments wouldn’t have made a difference one way or another.” He would have gone on, but a sudden blunt force caught him on the left side of his face, slamming his head into the wall. He had not expected that. As he sat there a little dazed, he watched a few people file out of the room after Thomas. Toa could guess that the offending fist was attached to him. With all the dignity he could muster, he stood up, and dusted off his pants, ignoring the warm fluid trickling down his chin, and walked out of the room. As he continued down the hall, he let the gravity of the situation sink in. He had really fucked up this time.

Once he made it to his office, he sat down with a thud, and grabbed a rag out of his desk drawer. On his way down, he had caught his reflection in a window. He wasn’t looking so hot. His nose was bleeding pretty badly, and he might have split his lip, but he couldn’t tell with all the blood. He leaned forward, and pinched his nose with the rag to stave off the nosebleed. Good news was, his nose wasn’t broken. The bad news was the pain. And embarrassment. He had been punched out in front of a room full of people, and hadn’t done anything about it. All for running his mouth. He could see now that his usual tactics were not going to work here. Just as he was beginning to feel at the bump forming on the back of his head, his office door slammed open, and Takami rushed in, slamming it shut behind him.

“What the hell happened?” he yelled, ignoring the sour look Toa shot at him.

“I was trying to hold a meeting” Toa said, doing his best not to splutter blood everywhere as he spoke. 

“Well you obviously didn’t take my advice” Takami cried, growing more irate. “What the hell did you say to get Thomas to hit you like that?”

“I was just trying to hold a meeting” Toa said as calmly as possible. “That’s the way I did it with the Lycaons, so forgive me for thinking it would work again”. 

Takami stood there for a minute with trepidation in his eyes. “Thomas is the most calm, levelheaded person I know” he said, finally beginning to calm down. (“)He has the patience of a saint. Whenever there are brawls on the field, he pretty much never fights. You must have said something really awful”.

Toa did his best to not roll his eyes at that. “Well the good news is, I learned my lesson early on before anybody could get hurt” he said with a sarcastic edge to his voice.

“Not quite, the other man said. “You did”. At this, he pulled a folding chair out from behind the door, and sat down slumped over with his chin resting on his hand.

“Well no shit” was Toa’s only reply before he went back to nursing his still bleeding nose.  
They both sat quietly for the next few minutes. Toa managed to stop the bleeding, and began inspecting his lip and the back of his head. He had cut the inside of his lip on his teeth from the blow, and he would most likely have a good sized bump on his head for a few days. Takami was the first one to break the silence.

“Was I wrong to bring you here?” He asked, gazing over at Toa.

“I don’t know yet” Toa answered slowly. After another few minutes, Takami stood up, and walked out of his office.


	6. Chapter Six

The coaching staff decided it best to ignore the events of the previous day, and make a fresh start. Today,Toa met a few players at a time on the actual field, as the coach felt he just inspired confrontation in the meeting room. Coach Imawano was usually nearby, keeping an eye on him. Currently, Toa was meeting with Amami, Takami, Brooklyn, and Kawanaka. He had just explained how to verify orders from the bench using signals, so they wouldn’t misinterpret orders. As he spoke, he noticed that Amami and Kawanaka had averted their eyes from his bruised face, which he appreciated. Takami, on the other hand, refused to break eye contact. He did not appreciate that. Brooklyn was just looking at a point over his left shoulder, most likely making an effort not to stare. After he had finished explaining, he decided to let them try the new signs he and the other members of the coaching staff had come up with. Kawanaka looked a bit discontented with his instructions.

“Is there a problem Kawanaka?” he asked carefully. No need to antagonize him and get a repeat of yesterday’s performance.

“No” Kawanaka said. “I just don’t see how this is your job. Any other coach could have taught us these signs. I thought you were just here to teach us teamwork,” he said with a bit of detectable sarcasm.

“You’re right” Toa said. “I should be helping you with teamwork”. At this point, he felt safe enough to mess with them a bit. “We’ll start with teambuilding exercises”. At this, Kawanaka started to look a bit horrified. “Let’s start with some trust falls. Amami with Brooklyn, and Takami with Kawanaka”. Amami looked like he would rather fall backwards into a wood chipper. After gauging the varied looks of disgust on their faces, Toa continued, “Or we could practice signs. I will be so kind as to let you choose the activity you would prefer”.  
After they had unanimously decided to practice signs, Toa decided to give them some space, and retired to the dugout to sit down for a minute. Just as he sat down, he heard someone else join him. “What do you want, Takami?” he asked.

”I just wanted to know how you were holding up” he answered, glancing over his face again.  
Toa had had just about enough of that. “Anything you find interesting?” He asked, challengingly. Takami refused to take the bait.  
“That looks painful” he said simply. Toa didn’t respond. He didn’t want to get into this again. The confrontation was over, the coach had made Thomas apologize; he had taken some painkillers, and put the whole thing behind him. In his books, that was history. It was time to move on.  
Beside him, Takami sighed. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” he said “But just know that nobody thinks anything less of you because of it”. At this Toa glanced over to Takami, and maintained eye contact. “Most of us realize that you can’t go ten minutes without insulting anyone, and that it isn’t personal” he continued, keeping eye contact. “We’ll be breaking for winter next week, and you won’t see much of anyone until spring practice begins. It would be nice if you could at least make nice with a few people before we all go our separate ways”.

Toa rested his head against the back of the bench, staring up at the ceiling. He really didn’t want to be having this conversation. He gave a noncommittal grunt, which seemed to satisfy Takami, as he got up and left without another word.

Over the next week, Toa made a bit of progress with the team. Progress meaning he didn’t antagonize anyone into resorting to violence again. A few of the batters left from Brooklyn’s old group still held out, but for the most part, he had the team’s grudging cooperation. Nobody tried to talk to him, nicely or otherwise, which was perfectly fine with Toa. He intended to get the next ten months over with so he could move on.  
On the last day before the break, the coaching staff had planned one last meeting. The remaining team members who hadn’t bothered to stick around for postseason practice were required to show up, so the meeting room was more packed than Toa was used to. As Coach Imawano thanked the team for all of their hard work, he felt a presence next to him. Glancing over, he was unsurprised to find Takami invading his personal space.  
“What are you doing over the break?” he asked softly, completely ignoring the coach.  
“Getting settled, mostly” Toa muttered. He hadn’t had much time to get moved in due to his tight work schedule.  
“You don't know too many people around here, do you?” Takami asked. Toa’s only reply was an eye roll and a sigh. At this, Takami spoke again “If you want, you can come over to my place for New Year’s Eve. If you don’t have any plans, that is” he offered.  
Toa shrugged. “I’m not sure what I’ll be doing then.” He was going to flat out decline the invitation, but when faced with Takami’s perky expression, he merely stated “I’ll think about it”. Takami seemed satisfied with that answer, and went back to pretending to listen to the coach’s speech. He stood by Toa with their shoulders touching for the rest of the meeting.

Over the next few weeks, Toa didn’t really hear from anyone on the team. Every once in a while, he would receive a request from the coach to complete some minor task, but none of them took longer than a day to complete. He mostly filled his time with gambling. He always took a while to find new places to gamble, usually illegally. Gambling in legal establishments never quite gave him the thrill that gambling in seedy little illegal casinos did. He never really gave Takami’s invitation any thought until evening on New Year’s Eve.  
He had been lounging around his apartment for the past few days, and needed to get out. He didn’t feel like trudging through the snow to go out, but he had a serious case of cabin fever. Just when he was considering calling Big Mama, he remembered Takami’s invitation. That might not be too bad of an idea. Takami wasn’t unbearable to be around, and there would most likely be a few other people at his apartment to serve as a buffer between the two of them. Making up his mind, he he flipped his phone open, and scrolled to Takami’s contact number. Pushing the doubts out of his mind, he pressed the dial button. After a few rings he picked up.

“Hello?” The other man answered.  
“Is the invitation still open?” Toa asked, not bothering to declare himself.  
“Sure” Takami said. “Come over around seven?”.

Conversation over, Toa hung up first. Glancing at the clock, he decided to start getting ready. He pulled on a button up shirt and nice pants that may have been a bit too tight for good taste. But they were warm, and they may go to a shrine that evening. With that in mind, he tucked a scarf into his coat pocket, and headed out.

Toa decided it was a good thing he left when he did. Traffic was a nightmare. He got to Takami’s building just as the clock struck seven. When he got up to the front doors, he pressed the call button on Takami’s floor. Without even answering, Takami buzzed him up. He must have company, then. That was a relief.

Ignoring the stairs, Toa got on the elevator, and shifted on his way up to Takami’s floor. After knocking on his door, he only had to wait all of fifteen seconds before the door swung open, and Takami filled the doorway.

“Come on in” he said a bit breathlessly, ushering Toa into his apartment. After handing his coat over to Takami, Toa looked around. There was nobody else there. Toa suddenly felt very stupid. He would be spending New Year’s Eve alone with Takami Itsuki. May god have mercy on his soul.

Itsuki stood there dumbly for a minute. He hadn’t really thought that Tokuchi would come. He wasn’t quite sure what to do at this point. Tokuchi looked just as lost as he did. Suddenly, he got an idea. “Want to watch a movie, and then go to the shrine?” he asked.

“What kind of movie?” Tokuchi asked, seeming as indifferent as ever.  
“Come over and we’ll pick one” he retorted, leading them over to his VHS collection. After a few minutes of perusing his collection, they settled on Die Hard. Christmas had come and gone, but it still fit the holiday mood. Takami felt generous, so he got a bottle of his favorite whiskey, and sat it next to the pizza he had heated up. This was shaping up to be an uneventful evening.

About half an hour into the movie, they were a quarter of the way through the bottle. Neither of them spoke to the other. They were both comfortable sitting on Itsuki’s tiny couch. After a while, Tokuchi stopped cramming himself against the arm of the sofa in an attempt to avoid contact with Itsuki. After another half hour and another quarter of the bottle, Tokuchi let himself lean against him ever so slightly. While Itsuki could appreciate the physical contact, he was starting to feel a bit too warm. He needed to move away from Tokuchi, bit that would mean breaking contact. Just as he was about to get up and turn down the thermostat, Tokuchi looked over and caught his eyes. 

Before Takami could open his mouth to say anything, Tokuchi slowly approached him before pressing their mouths together. Takami sat there in shock for a heartbeat, and then let his eyes slip shut as he melted against Tokuchi. Tokuchi moved closer, curled his legs under himself, and wrapped one arm around Itsuki’s neck and the other around his waist, holding their bodies together. Itsuki slipped his hands around Tokuchi’s waist, and opened his mouth, trying to deepen the kiss. Tokuchi responded well, flicking his tongue against his own. After another minute, Tokuchi broke the kiss, looking somewhat shocked at his own actions. Itsuki stared right back at him, not quite sure what to say. Slowly, Tokuchi, turned towards the television, and broke eye contact. They sat there quietly watching the last half of the movie while staying close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. School and work have finally caught up with me, so updates may be a bit more sporadic for a while. I will do my best to keep updating as regularly as possible.


	7. Chapter Seven

The next morning, Itsuki woke up with a throbbing headache. The whiskey from the night before had obviously disagreed with his system. He tried to roll off of the couch to grab a painkiller, but was stopped by a heavy weight on his legs. Looking down, he saw that it was Tokuchi. That had conveniently slipped his mind. As he untangled his legs from Tokuchi’s, he tried to remember the night before. They had kissed. That he remembered in perfect detail. Afterwards, they had watched the rest of the movie, and finished off the bottle. That was probably a bad decision. He could infer that they had passed out soon after that. He stooped down to look through the fridge to look for ingredients for hangover food. Eggs would do nicely. After cracking them and whisking them in a pan with some milk, he heard Tokuchi stir from the other room. 

“Are you up?” he asked loudly, catching the other man’s attention. 

“Unfortunately” was his reply.

As Itsuki scrambled the eggs, he watched Tokuchi walk into the kitchen and grab a seat at his table. He looked a little ruffled. That made him feel a certain way, and he was not quite sure what that meant. He chose to file that thought away for him to analyze at a much later date. They are breakfast in silence; neither man mentioned the happenings of the night before. After they finished, he saw Toa off at the door, and watched him walk down the hall to the elevator. He doubted either of them would ever trust a stairwell ever again. 

Toa drove home as fast as he could. He had fucked up. He had royally fucked up, and he could hardly blame alcohol this time. He had imbibed half a bottle of whiskey, yes. But he still knew what he was doing. He was probably just lonely because he was still meeting people here. He hadn’t had a decent lay in a while. He had gotten caught up in the romance in Die Hard. He could keep making up excuses, but he knew he had knowingly kissed Takami Itsuki, and that burned at him the entire way back.

Once he got home, Toa took a long hot shower in an attempt to scorch the embarrassment off. It did not work. He decided to banish all thoughts of Takami from his mind for the duration on winter intersession. If anyone could manage it, it would be him.

The rest of his break passed by all too quickly, and soon, Toa found himself standing in the chilly February air while he awaited Coach Imawano‘s instructions. They only had a couple of weeks before the players came back for spring training, and they had to make it count. Once he received his list of responsibilities, Toa felt the slightest bit annoyed. He would be working overtime for the next few weeks. As he made his way down to his office, Toa’s thoughts started to wander. He would have to start working with the team soon, and he had very little to show for their postseason practices. He had taught them some signs and had them work on clarification, but that was just about it. If he wanted to make any progress this time around, he would have to double down and work twice as hard. He might even resort to being nice. He hoped it didn’t come to that.

The next two weeks passed by quickly. Toa’s life was once again ruled by the whims of the coaching staff --he and the interns had that in common. Despite his chilly demeanor, several of the girls had started to warm up to him. He didn’t know whether to be flattered or concerned about them. It did make his life easier when he had help, though, and that was one of the only things he couldn’t complain about for just as he was starting to feel a bit less on edge, the pitchers came back. They always came to spring training first. 

Toa stood off to the side. He was doing his best to listen to the pep talk he was delivering to the pitchers, but he found himself distracted. Although he hadn't thought of the events of New Year's Eve lately, he couldn’t help but cringe at the thought of seeing Takami again after that embarrassment. After another few minutes of trying to pay attention, he started to drift again, right up until the players all agreed loudly with something Imawano had said. With that, they all stood up and filed out of the room. Coach Imawano gestured at Toa from the other side of the room to walk with him. 

“I have high expectation of you this season” Imawano said. “I hope your performance will improve in the next few weeks.”

Toa didn't respond, but he did nod in affirmation. He would definitely make some progress before the rest of the battery arrived for spring training. 

After they reached the field, Coach Imawano had the players warm up. Kira, Mizuhashi, and Kira were running through drills. Kawanaka started to stretch on his own. Imawano grunted in disapproval, and nodded his head towards Toa. Oh hell no. Toa was not about to go stretch Kawanaka’s limbs. He wasn’t that kind of coach. Imawano however, didn't seem to care, and simply glared at Toa until he reluctantly made his way toward Kawanaka, who looked like he was ready to strike at any moment. 

Toa approached Kawanaka warily. The last thing he wanted right now was a foot to the gut. But Kawanaka just sighed and sat down on the turf. 

“Let's get this over with” he said. “Imawano won't be satisfied until we do this so make it quick”.

Toa nodded in response. Kawanaka almost surprised him how fast he acquiesced. 

“What do you want to start with?” he asked, doing his best to be decent. 

“Let's just get some isometric stretches in, and get it out of the way” Kawanaka said, lying down and stretching out his leg for Toa to grab. 

After bracing Kawanaka’s leg on his shoulder, Toa leaned forward, stretching out his hamstring. While they went through Kawanaka’s stretching routine, he couldn't help but notice that the other players were no longer shooting him dirty looks at the frequency they had during post-season training. Maybe they had finally unfucked themselves, and had decided to concentrate on their real enemies. But it was far more likely that they were just too preoccupied by the pitching coach yelling instructions. Either way, he didn't really care one way or the other. 

When he heard a grunt from Kawanaka, Toa released his arm from where he had been pushing it. Kawanaka stood up, brushed off his pants, and muttered a thank you before going off to join the team drill. 

After receiving an affirmative nod from Coach Imawano, Toa made his way over to the bench to observe. While he watched the pitchers run through their drills, he ran through their statistics. They were from last season, and meant nothing of course, but he could see how they were affected by different situations. Kira didn't do well when yelled at. Takahashi threw poorly when he felt persecuted. Kawanaka was the dictionary definition of type A, and Mizuhashi still didn't get along with some of the second string pitchers. These issues would have to be addressed before the start of the season. 

After practice ended, Toa turned in his latest report to Coach Imawano, who took it and grunted, just like he always did. But before he could leave, Imawano cleared his throat, stopping Toa in his tracks. 

“I expect that you will make progress before the season starts” he stated, giving Toa a look that didn't inspire confidence. 

“I intend to” Toa replied simply. With that, he turned and left. The pressure was on, and would only get worse from there. Next time he had the opportunity to gamble away another year of his life in a high stakes gamble, he would pass. No amount of money in the world was worth another year of this mess. 

Over the next few days, Toa continued to do his mindless team building exercises under the watchful eye of Coach Imawano, who insisted it was for his own good. Toa did not appreciate that. Nobody did anything with his own good in mind. He sometimes had a hard time doing things for his own good. While he worked with the pitchers, he kept noticing discrepancies are the ways they interacted. His signs weren't working. They had practiced them and performed them as he had taught them, and they were better at performing orders from the bench, yet they were still struggling to work as a unit. They still functioned as individuals, and while that in itself could be of use, they were unable to take their individuality and make it work. It was getting to the point where something had to change. That day after practice, he called them over to the bench. “We need to try something different” he said, calmly facing them. “Although you seem to understand what I am telling you to do, you don't seem to understand why I am having you do it”. 

Then, Kawanaka chose that moment to interrupt. “So you’ve been having us do all of these useless signs and communication exercises for nothing” he asked, giving Toa a bit more attitude than usual. 

Toa turned to face him. “They're not useless in general. Just useless for you. They served their original purpose well. You confuse fewer orders from the bench, and you throw more good pitches”. 

Mizuhashi glanced at Kawanaka before getting Toa’s attention. “If we've been throwing more good pitches, then why are they useless?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. 

“Because you still constantly look for opportunities to snipe at each other. Whenever you of you screws up, you constantly berate each other, and while that isn't necessarily bad, I have noticed that you never recognize when you've done well. You need to recognize the positive as much as you berate the negative.”  
After that little speech, Toa had to swallow down the wave of nausea that threatened to overtake him. Never in his life had he imagined he would be forced to tell a group of grown men to play nice. He thrived on chaos, and here he was, playing guidance counselor and trying to force them to be more positive. By the way the group was looking at him; he could infer that they felt the same way. 

After that little interlude, Imawano seemed to accept him a bit more. He had started to send the interns to get coffee, and had been giving Toa bigger tasks. While he appreciated not being sent out into the cold every time the coaching staff needed a fix, he soon found himself inundated with assignments. He had to start helping with a grievance system so the players could have better dedicated channels to voice their concerns with their teammates. He also had to learn how to use a computer to build a system the coaching staff could use to keep track of different statistics, and under what conditions those outcomes could be expected. He had only learned what a forum was a year before, and now they expected him to learn how to program the damn thing. This was probably a punishment of some sort. 

Within the next few days, his desk was partially taken up by a huge new monitor and computer tower. What wasn't taken up by this space age technology was filled with paperwork, notes, and programming manuals. To make thing even better, the rest of the team was scheduled to come back that day. That meant four times the work and four times the pressure. 

While he thumbed uselessly through the manual, which seemed to be written in a language made up of random English letters, numbers, and punctuation markers, he heard someone start to rattle on his door handle. Looking up, Toa sighed. It was the Coach, no doubt here to give him another assignment. 

Instead, the unwelcome face of Takami Itsuki appeared. He knew without any doubt he would have to face him after his New Year's Eve fuck up, but he had hoped to maintain some semblance of distance. Instead, as per usual lately, he had no luck. 

Toa slowly turned his chair towards Takami. “What brings you here?” he asked, keeping his voice even. 

“I thought I'd drop by and say hi.” Takami said, as he rested against the door frame. They sat there in an awkward silence for a bit before Takami’s eyes rested on the programming manual in front of Toa. “Why do they have you working in C plus plus?” he asked. “Are you building a database or something?” 

Toa let blinked up at the intruder. “Yes, I suppose I am.” he said, finally conceding. “Know anything about it?” he asked, fully expecting Takami to shrug, or give a little quip. Instead, Takami barged right in past Toa and picked up the book and skimmed the page he was on. 

“What do they have you working on exactly?” he asked, seeming genuinely interested. 

“I'm building a database for player statistics.” Toa answered simply. 

“I've done something like that before.” Takami said looking at Toa with a glint in his eye. 

“What did you do?” Toa asked, figuring he'd humor him one last time. 

“Kind of the same thing. A database for player statistics.” he looked as if he was going to go on, but he stopped himself short. Strange. 

Just as he was about to shoo him away, Amami stuck his head in. “Imawano is asking about you.” he said evenly. “You might want to want to stop dicking around and start practice.” he finished, maintaining a blank expression. 

Takami glanced over at Toa before exiting the room. “I'll see you later” he said.

“Is that a promise or a threat?” Toa asked loudly enough for him to hear. 

Amami followed Takami out the door, but paused and looked back at Toa. “You should ask him about his project from last season. You'd probably find it interesting.” he said, before leaving for good. 

Toa watched him leave, wondering what the hell he was talking about. After another hour or so of trying and failing to decipher the manual, Toa gave up trying. After locking up his office, he made his way to the interns’ slightly larger office space. They might know how to figure this thing out. 

Itsuki made his way out to the field, shooting Amami the occasional dirty look. “Why did you feel the need to get him riled up?” he finally asked. 

Amami shrugged and said “He is going to find out about your boyfriend eventually. The longer you wait to tell him about it, the more likely someone is to show it to him and freak him out.”

Itsuki did not appreciate that. “It’s a pitching machine, not my boyfriend. Who the hell started that anyway?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at his teammate. 

“Probably Kitaooji.” Amami replied. “You know somebody is going to think it's funny to show that thing to him, and then he's going to think you're some kind of stalker.”

“For the last time, I'm not a fucking stalker. I had to get extra footage for the projection.” He would have said more, but they had arrived at the dugout, and he didn’t want to continue this in front of his teammates. Amami, however, seemed to have latched onto the topic of his invention.

“Kitaooji” Amami said, gaining the other man's attention “Do you think Itsuki should tell Toa about how we beat him?” 

Kitaooji snorted and faced Itsuki with a smirk. “Are you going to tell him about your boyfriend?” he asked, taking the baton from Amami. 

Itsuki was getting very tired of this very quickly. “I know you started that shit.” he said neutrally, glaring down at his supposed friend. 

Kitaooji held his glance for a moment before beckoning Kawanaka over. “Hey Kawanaka” he cried. “Don’t you want to show Toa our secret weapon from last season?” he asked, almost gleeful. 

Kawanaka looked between the three men for a second or two before shaking his head. “I really don't see the point,” he said. “That would just cause unnecessary drama.”

Kitaooji shrugged. “That’s pretty big of you.” he said, backing down. “I've never known you to pass up the chance to be petty.”

“There's no point in being petty right now. Definitely not with Tokuchi. We would only be proving the coach right in bringing him here if we went around starting petty bullshit. I don't want any part in it.Who started this, anyway?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at Kitaooji. 

“It was Amami, actually.” Kitaooji stated, finally conceding. 

“That's not really like you to start needless drama. You usually have a better reason.” Kawanaka stated, peering over at Amami who was looking pretty exasperated. 

“It just thought he should get it out of the way before Tokuchi finds out about that thing on his own.” Amami said. “I never meant for it to be this big of a deal.You should probably consider it before you get too-” Takami cut him off quickly. 

“I know what I'm doing.” he muttered before jogging off to stretch. 

Kawanaka and Kitaooji went back to the practice field, and Amami soon followed. 

After practice, Itsuki walked through the hall towards the parking lot, but decided to take a quick detour by Toa’s office to see if he was still around. He wasn't being clingy. He just wanted to see if he was still around. He hadn't seen or heard from him after New Year’s Eve, and he knew there was probably a pretty good reason for that. They had gotten too close. But it had been a couple of months, and he had moved past it. That didn't mean he didn't want to be friendly with him. 

As he neared his office, he heard Toa talking to someone. Probably a man from the sound of it. Curious, he slowed down a bit. They seemed to be talking about the database Toa was working on earlier. When he reached Toa’s door, he paused and looked in. One of the interns was showing him how to open the program he would use to make the database. He looked just as clueless as Toa did. 

Before he could move on, the intern glanced back and made eye contact. “Takami” he said, looking relieved. “I heard you were pretty good at this stuff. Do you mind taking a look?” 

Toa didn't look too pleased at the intern’s request. “It's fine.” he said. “Oeda and I are figuring it out.” 

Itsuki was torn. On one hand, programming was one thing he was good at. On the other, Tokuchi was not the easiest person to help. “It's alright.” he said, silently cursing himself. “I don't mind showing you how to start.” At this Oeda looked overjoyed. Tokuchi looked like he was marching towards his own execution. 

Takami took Oeda’s chair by Tokuchi, and showed him how to start his first file. Then, he created a header file, and named it player, giving it attributes. After that, he created the player file, and began to write functions, and started the get average function. After he had finished showing him how to start a line, he noticed the blank look on Toa’s face. “Does that make sense?” he asked. 

Tokuchi sighed and said “I have no idea how you did that or what it means. “ 

Itsuki rested his head on his hand. “They're punishing you for something, aren't they?”

“Probably.” Toa stated. 

Takami was about to say something clever until he heard a snort. He looked behind him to see the Oeda was still there. “You can go home.” he said. “I can take it from here,” before Tokuchi could protest, the intern reluctantly scooted out of the office. 

“Why were you forcing that poor kid to help you?” he asked, smiling over at Tokuchi. “He probably wasn't even out of high school yet.”

“He said he knew about computers.” Tokuchi replied, rolling his eyes. “And he is well out of high school. He's a year older than I am.” 

Itsuki did not know how to feel about that. “How old are you, anyway?” he asked, genuinely curious. 

“Why do you ask?” Tokuchi said. 

“Just curious”, Itsuki said, before breaking eye contact and turning back to the computer. “If you want, I can come by a bit early tomorrow and help you a bit more.

“It's fine,” Tokuchi said “You have other things to worry about.”

“Not really,” Itsuki said. “Not since I got you out of the way”.

“That didn't last too long, did it?” Tokuchi asked before trying to type something in, and nearly fucking everything up in the process. 

Itsuki reached over and corrected Tokuchi’s mistake. He did his best to ignore the glance Tokuchi threw his way. 

“Are you ever going to tell me how you managed that?” he muttered. 

“Maybe someday.” Itsuki replied. 

After another minute of Tokuchi trying and failing to code, and Itsuki correcting his mistakes as he made them, Itsuki glanced at the time. “We better get going. It's past 11”. Tokuchi glanced up and shot the computer one last look before saving their progress and shutting it down. After locking the door, they made their way out to the parking lot together. “What time do you get here?” Itsuki asked as they neared his car. 

“Usually around eight.” Tokuchi replied. 

“Eight a.m.?” Itsuki asked, giving Tokuchi an incredulous look. “You mean to tell me that you have fifteen hour work days.”

“It sounds pretty bad when you say it like that.” Tokuchi said. “It's not that bad.”

Itsuki knew one thing, and that was that Tokuchi was a fucking liar. “I guess I'll see you at noon, then.” he said before unlocking his car. 

“You mean three. You aren't supposed to get here until three.”

“Yeah, but I figured I could stop by and fix whatever damage you did to the program before then. See you tomorrow.” he said, getting into his car and driving off before Tokuchi could protest. 

Toa stood there for a minute before walking over to his own car. “Damn guy can't leave well enough alone, can he?” he muttered to himself before getting in, driving off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the wait. School and work caught up with me there for a bit. I hope you enjoy!


	8. Chapter Eight

The next day, true to his word, Takami showed up at 12:00 sharp. With him he had brought a couple of older spiral notebooks filled with illegible writing. Database notes, he said. After booting up the giant modem, Toa sat in silence watching Takami leaf through his notes. After an awkward ten minutes, the database was up where he had left off just a couple of hours before. He had to admit, he was proud of himself. He had pretty much figured it out. Yet, instead of praise and admiration for a job well done, all he got from Takami was a blank horrified look. 

“What did you do? It all compiled.” He looked like he was about to cry. He did not expect that. 

Takami grabbed Toa’s chair, and without a word, rolled him aside, taking his place in front of the computer. 

After about twenty minutes of watching Takami type, mutter to himself, and groan, Toa began to get impatient. “How am I going to learn if you do it all yourself?” he asked, doing his best to not sound impatient. He couldn't afford to lose the other man's help at this point. He just wanted to play a more active role.

“After you read those.” Takami said, gesturing to the notebooks on his desk. “They're pretty dumbed down, so you might understand them.” At that, Takami tied up his hair and got back to typing and muttering. 

Itsuki worked at the code for the better part of two hours before the program was up to snuff. He had the algorithm laid out, all he had to do was flesh it out. Looking over, he noticed Tokuchi had started on the first few pages of the second notebook, his own page of notes beside it. At least he was doing something. Deeming his work on the program done for the day, he suddenly stood up to stretch, causing Tokuchi to jump a bit. Itsuki stopped himself from smiling. It was kind of refreshing to see Tokuchi be vulnerable for once. “I'm pretty much done for now” he said. “Go ahead and look that over” he said before leaning in very close. “But don't touch anything.” Tokuchi blinked slowly up at him, as if to question him. “If I have to fix one more compilation error, you are on your own,” he finished, before swinging his bag over his shoulder and heading toward the locker room. 

On his way, he noticed Oeda walking with a couple of other interns. “Hey, Oeda!” He called, catching the other man's attention. “How old are you?” he asked. 

Oeda looked a bit frazzled at the attention. “I'm 21,” he said. “Why do you ask?”

“Just curious” Itsuki replied as he turned to go to the locker room. As he left, he noticed the impressed looks the other interns were giving him. Thankfully that kind of attitude never lasted long with them. 

 

“I can't believe he's only 20.” Itsuki muttered to Amami as they stretched. 

“Why?” Amami asked. “That's not terribly young.” “Kawanaka started at the same age , and I don't hear you making a fuss about that.”

“Yeah, but Kawanaka never gave me as much trouble as Tokuchi did” Itsuki muttered. 

“He made you work for it” Amami stated as he stood up. “Maybe you should give Tokuchi some space. You’ve been in his office more often than not lately.” 

“It's nothing,” Itsuki said, standing up to join him. “I'm just helping him out with a database”. 

Amami raised one eyebrow delicately at him, then made his way towards the batting cages. 

For the remainder of practice, Itsuki couldn't bring himself to concentrate on his drills, despite the batting coach’s repeated pep talks. He had Tokuchi on his mind, and he could think of little else. He knew he was back there in his little broom closet ruining his code. He knew it. Tokuchi had said he would keep his grubby little paws off it, but the likelihood of that happening was pretty low. After half assing his way through his batting drills with both a live pitcher and the pitching machine, he made his way towards Tokuchi’s office with no pretense of taking the long way to the parking lot. If he didn't check his code now, it would nag at him all night, and by the looks of his schedule that week, he needed that sleep. 

After rounding the corner, Takami saw that the door to Tokuchi’s office was already open. Fearing he already had company, Takami slowed his pace and listened for voices. Hearing none, peered into the office. There he was, scrolling through the code, most likely reviewing the damage he had done. He didn't seem to notice him though. 

Itsuki paused there in the doorway, waiting for the moment where Tokuchi would fuck up, where he would try to touch his code. He did not have to wait long. 

Unaware he was being watched, Toa scrolled through the lines of code. He had read through the notebooks several times, and he had a general idea of what he was looking at. Just as he was about to finish, he noticed what seemed to be a misplaced backslash. He could probably get rid of that. It was out of place, and would probably not be missed. Just as he placed his cursor over it, ready to hit the backspace key and erase it from this plane of existence, he noticed a reflection in his monitor. Before he could even react, Takami’s fingers dug into his shoulders causing Toa to jump as he leaned in very close from behind him. 

“What are you working on there?” The other man asked, with an edge to his voice. “You're not deleting anything, are you?”

Toa had to gather himself before he replied. He was not expecting Takami back this soon, let alone soon enough to catch him editing the database. 

“It’s out of place” Toa muttered. 

“You’re out of place” Takami retorted.

“That doesn’t even make any sense” Toa said as Takami rolled his chair to the side.

Takami leaned down in front of the computer and surveyed the damage. Thankfully, he didn’t find anything out of place. Toa had probably just recently decided to survey it, and hadn’t had enough time to do any damage. As he scrolled through the lines, Toa wheeled himself closer to peer over his shoulder. After another few minutes, Itsuki stood up, satisfied. 

“I guess you didn’t have enough time to really do any damage, did you?” he asked, nudging Toa aside as he made his way out of his office.

“I was looking it over” Tokuchi said.

“Sure” Itsuki said. “Just do me a favor. Don’t edit it without me”. Seeing Toa shrug his assent, Takami turned to leave, satisfied. “See you tomorrow” he said as he walked off, leaving Toa to stare after him.

After Takami’s departure, Toa sat in silence for a minute. That had been weird. He stood up and powered the computer down. There was no point in looking over the code anymore. Takami would probably sense him opening the program and come back to harass him some more. After looking around his office one last time, he locked up and headed home.

Later that night, Toa lay awake in bed, unable to fall asleep. There really was no reason for it. He had woken up early, and had worked all day. Usually he was gone by now, but for some reason, he just could not relax. Rolling over onto his side, Toa thought over his day. He had gotten to the stadium in time to attend a couple of coach’s meetings, and after that, he had worked through the new grievance system. He hadn’t had time to think over how he was going to bring the team together in a way that could be neatly packaged and presented to the head coaches for approval. He knew better than to try and use the same tactics again. What had worked with the Lycaons would not work here. Using his definition of teamwork would most likely divide the team further. He couldn’t motivate them with money or mvp status. Really, he was just there to tell them to stop being bastards, and that didn’t sit well with him. He didn’t appreciate being forced into the role of a hypocrite. After ruminating for what seemed like hours turned out to be minutes as Toa rolled over again to glance at his clock. He had to be up in a few hours, and he did not like the idea of heading out for a fifteen hour work day with no sleep. This job would be the death of him.

Toa rolled over one last time onto his back, and did his best to clear his mind. He started evening out his breathing, and let himself relax. Once he got in the right headspace, he would fall asleep quickly. After a few more minutes, he was still as awake as he had been for hours. This kind of stress was foreign to him. He used to thrive in stressful situations, but now they were doing this to him. He had too much to do. He had too much to do before that damn database. Yet that was the one assignment he didn’t really mind, despite his total lack of knowledge about computers. He did get to see Takami. Strangely enough,he didn’t mind his assistance. 

Toa quickly banished the thought from his head. That kind of sentimentality was not needed here. Toa closed his eyes and tried to relax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much thanks KatenissEverdeen for editing and encouraging me to post!


	9. Chapter Nine

The next week went by with little issue for Toa. The database was pretty much done, and the season opening was fast approaching. In less than a week, he would travel with the team and act as both an assistant coach and a consultant. He could say goodbye to the few meagre hours of free time he had managed to squeeze out since the start of his employment. While he wasn't exactly looking forward to it, traveling with the team sounded better than being trapped in his tiny office all day hunkered over his computer like a cubicle rat.

Later that night, Toa sat back and admired his program. He had no idea how he did it, but it was finally finished. Hopefully this last menial task would spell the end of his days as a glorified intern. With that, he shut his computer down and stood up, preparing to go home.

As if on cue, Takami opened the door and glanced over at the now dark monitor.

“Did you finish?” he asked, stepping closer.

“I believe so,” Toa said before stepping around Takami to exit his office. Takami took the hint, and followed him outside. After Toa locked his door, he made his way out to the parking lot with Takami walking beside him.

“Did you want me to look over it one last time?” Takami asked, seemingly trying to make small talk.

“It’s fine” Toa stated. “Thanks for your help figuring it out, though.” Looking over, he was greeted by the sight of unusually huge blue eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Toa asked, narrowing his eyes and widening the distance between them.

“You’ve never thanked me before. I’ve actually never heard you thank anyone,” Takami said, blinking at Toa.

“Ah. I guess I haven’t, have I?” was Toa’s only response.

Takami grunted and didn’t say anything until they reached the parking lot. Before Toa could turn to leave, Takami spoke up, catching his attention. “We should celebrate sometime,” he said. “We worked hard on that project. And you really should get out sometime. I hear you avoid pretty much every social gathering involving support staff.”

Toa paused for a second, gazing over at Takami. He couldn’t have finished that project without him, and he probably did owe him something for putting in all that time.

“Fine,” Toa replied. “Let me know what you decide”. With that, he turned and walked towards his car, leaving Takami where he stood.

“Sounds good,” Takami said to nobody in particular, then continued toward his car, trying to ignore the small rush that had just hit him. He honestly hadn’t expected Tokuchi to go along with his suggestion. He definitely wouldn’t complain, though. He had to admit, for all his many faults, Toa could be good company.

The next week went by with little time for anything other than practice and preparation for the season opener. Itsuki hadn't had time to walk by Toa’s office, let alone drop by. Knowing him, though, he probably wasn't offended. Probably relieved. Nevertheless, he wanted to see him. Just to make sure he was still there. Not that he would run off before he fulfilled his end of the bargain. It was more like the fact that they were in the same building right now still didn't feel real.

Now that the season opener was tonight, however, he would probably see a lot more of Toa on the road. From then on, he was supposed to take a more active role in the team. Not that many people were pleased about it, and Itsuki had to admit to himself that he probably wasn't the most popular person on the team at the moment. But everyone else would come around.

Just then, Itsuki glanced up at the clock from his position in the stadiums club house. The game against the Eagles would start in about an hour. The stadium would already be filling up fast. He smiled to himself, and stood up with a few of his teammates and made his way down to the locker room. 

The energy in the locker room was so high; he could practically feel it reverberating off the walls. It was pretty evident that they were all hell bent on starting the season off with a bang. After changing, he went out into the dugout where the coaching staff was already getting set up. 

Coach Imawano was already giving orders to the assistant staff, and had his colleagues finish getting ready. Toa, of course had apparently finished his chores, and looked like he was itching to sprawl out on the bench. Itsuki silently nodded over at him to acknowledge his self-control. Imawano definitely would have flat out murdered him if he had even tried to sit down. 

A few of their opponents were already on the field warming up. Okabe was already doing practice swings by the dugout. Mizuhashi and Yoshida seemed more relaxed than they were when they played the Eagles last. Now that they had time to settle in, they didn't seem as antsy.

After a few rounds of practice swings and pitches, Itsuki sat in the dugout watching the coaches determine who would bat first. He couldn't hear anything, but by the look on Imawano’s face, it would be the Mariners. What luck.  
It looked like the Eagles would be using one of their new recruits as a starter. Itsuki narrowed his eyes at him. He hadn't heard anything about this new pitcher, or what he could throw. Scooting forward, he watched as Kitaooji made his way up to the plate. 

Kitaooji wisely let the first pitch turn into a strike. Turns out the new kid could pitch a mean slider. It didn't matter much to Kitaooji apparently, as he managed to hit the next pitch and make it to first. Sighing, Itsuki stood up and made his way out of the dugout, skipping his warm-up swings. 

After stepping up to the plate, he made eye contact with the pitcher, and embraced the small rush it gave him. He could feel the energy from the spectators wash over him as he prepared to swing. Itsuki honestly couldn't understand why people did drugs when they could feel this instead.

The pitcher went through a normal windup, and released the ball, throwing at least 80 miles per hour. To some, that would be formidable. But any hesitation was soon erased when his bat made contact, sending the ball into the outfield with a satisfying SMACK.

After getting over to first, he waited for Amami to take the plate. While he waited for him to either get a hit or strike out, he let himself glance over at the bench. Toa was standing right next to the assistant coach, eyes trained on Amami. For a brief moment, it looked like he was about to glance over in his direction, but he was quickly interrupted by the sound of a bat making contact with a ball.

Itsuki ran towards second with all he had while an outfielder caught the ball in his periphery. Amami may have gotten out, but at least he and Thomas had made it to the next base.

Back in the dugout, Toa watched the game intently. While they were doing alright to begin with, he needed to look out for any mistakes or errors that fell under his criteria. So far, so good though. As of yet, they hadn't messed up too badly. While he waited for Amami to hit, he glanced over at Takami, who was also looking at him. Though before he could even blink, Amami had struck out and Kitaooji and Takami proceeded to the next bases over. So far so good.

The rest of the game went as well as they could have hoped, with them leading the score 6-2 at the top of the 7th. They were at bat. Toa had begun to get a feel for what this year’s version of the Chiba Mariners may be. They seemed a bit more solid than last year, but he could still see the cracks in the wall. He was finally getting to work with the coaching staff more actively, and thankfully they would occasionally listen to him, making a note or two.

While they started the batting rotation, Toa looked over at the Eagle’s bench. They didn't seem to be as high in spirit as they started out in. Hopefully they would let the point difference get to them, but that was unlikely, especially at the start of the season.  
The rest of the game passed quickly enough, with the Mariners winning 10-6. Itsuki had hoped to win with a bigger margin, but they had won. The coaching staff was happy, the fans were happy, so he would be happy. On the way out, an assistant ran over and handed him his bags.

They would be traveling over to the Eagles stadium for the next two games. He had to admit, the perks of being a pro were way too good to pass up. Nice busses, people to pack your bag for you, even snacks on the bus. He felt some pity for those in the farm leagues right then. They didn't know how good they could have it.

Soon, he was on the bus. Some players had already fallen asleep somehow. He honestly didn't know how they did it. Everything had to be just right before he could sleep. He settled into his seat, resigning himself to a few hours of boredom while they travelled.

Looking around, he took inventory of the people around him. Brooklyn, Kitaooji, and Thomas were sleeping. Amami and Kawanaka were talking quietly in the front of the bus. Most everyone else were either watching the movie that played quietly on a few screens throughout the bus, reading, or listening to their walkmans. In front of them was the bus carrying the coaches, support staff, and a few media reps. Overall, it was shaping up to be a quiet ride.

Once they got to their hotel, Itsuki made his way off the bus to collect his bag. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Toa doing the same. He quickly straightened up and walked over.

“So, what did you think of the game earlier?” he asked, trying to make small talk as they walked in.

“It was alright. You guys managed to not completely screw it up” Toa replied lowly quietly

“Thanks” Itsuki said in return. “Are you going to bed yet?” he asked.

“Probably not.” Toa said. “I'll just wait until my roommates are asleep.”

“There you go again not interacting.” Itsuki shot back.

“Not so much that I don't want them to watch me sleep. I know a few of them probably would.” Toa said. Itsuki honestly couldn't tell whether or not he was being sarcastic. He honestly wouldn't put it past a couple of them.

“Want to get something to drink, then?” Itsuki asked. “Coffee, that is,” he added quickly. No way was he going to drink right before a game. 

“Sure,” Tokuchi said. 

After getting a recommendation from the concierge, Itsuki found himself in a 24 hour cafe with Tokuchi. Right then, he realized he didn't know what to say. He honestly didn't even know why he invited him. He could have gone to bed and gotten a full night’s sleep, but he was seated next to Tokuchi holding a mug of pure caffeine.

“What's going on?” Tokuchi asked.

“What do you mean?” Itsuki countered.  
“You invited me out of nowhere. I figured something was going on that you needed to tell me about.”

Itsuki was embarrassed. “It's not like that,” he said. “I do have people to talk to about personal stuff. Nothing's going on with me that you need to know about.”

Tokuchi blinked at him slowly. “I meant the game,” he stated.

“Oh,” Takami said. “Yeah.” He raked through the barrage of thoughts that were running through his head. “What do you think of that new pitcher?” he asked. “The one who can throw that slider?”

“I'm not too impressed,” Tokuchi said. “He can pitch well, but he's easily distracted.”

Itsuki grunted in response. He had noticed him getting off his game every once in awhile at the start. “I agree,” he finally said. 

“Really, Okabe is the only one on that team with any promise at all after you guys managed to get Mizuhashi and Yoshida.” Toa said, eyes glinting with mirth.

“I can't disagree with that,” Itsuki said, sharing Toa’s look. “I was honestly disappointed in us when they got so close. We should never have had to work that hard to win against those guys.” Itsuki continued.

“It was honestly kind of pathetic.” Toa agreed. “At least you managed to keep from totally embarrassing yourself out there.”

“Thanks,” Itsuki said with a snort that could have been a chuckle. He was enjoying this. Nobody on his team had been too into shit talking lately. It was nice to just let loose. Before he could continue with their discussion, Toa stood up.

“I should probably get going before they lock the door for the night,” Toa said. “I don't have my key card yet.”

“That's fine.” Itsuki said. “Goodnight. See you tomorrow.”

Toa then gave him a rare half smile that could almost be seen as genuine in the right light, then left.


	10. Chapter Ten

The next two games against the Eagles had gone well. They had managed to win with a few points to spare, no thanks to the starting pitchers. Now that they were done in Miyage, the team was on the bus back to Chiba. Thankfully, it was light out this time, which made it a more interesting ride in Itsuki’s opinion. 

Itsuki looked out the window for the remainder of the long drive. He had forgotten his music at home, so he did his best to ignore the cacophony of his celebrating teammates. He honestly wasn't feeling the mood, though. Their games had been a bit closer than he would have liked. 

Once they arrived back at the stadium, he split up from the rest of the team and headed towards his car. He would probably crash at home early so he could be on time to practice the next day. The schedule could be downright exhausting at times, but the exhilaration of being on the field really made his hard work worth it. 

The next day, Coach Imawano had gathered the first string players in the meeting room. Toa stood with the other coaches off to the side, out of the way of the projector. Their next opponents would be the Blue Mars. They would be starting off at the Mariners stadium, so they had a good shot at winning.

Toa had honestly debated giving subtle hints at the true nature of the Blue Mars’ winning streak, but he had decided against it. He was here to help with teamwork, not winning. Plus, he wasn't too motivated to go that far above and beyond as of yet. Not for what they were paying him.

Besides, they may not even use the same tricks as before. They had probably gone one of two ways: get better at cheating and hiding their tactics, or get clean and play with honor. The latter was highly unlikely though. It really wasn't going to be an issue, however, as the first two games were home games. 

Toa had other things to deal with. He was noticing the flaws of the previous season emerging. The outfielders were beginning to look down on the battery once more. The pitchers were starting to pull back from the team. They all were far too concerned with how the others were doing. Honestly, he just needed them to ignore each other, but not too much. He also needed them to stop being bastards to each other, but not to the point that they lose motivation to get better. 

Toa crossed his arms, reading the eye of a couple of the other coaches before they turned back to Imawano.

“Really, all we need to do is focus on hitting off of Williams,” Imawano said, glancing over at Toa as if acknowledging he hadn't been paying attention. “Outfielders, keep up the good work. Everybody else, try not to get hit off of too much. We've got a game to win.” He finished, looking around the room. 

The defense players looked satisfied, while the few pitchers who had been paying attention were giving each other subtle little sighs or eyerolls. After everybody had cleared out, Toa went back to his office, sat down, and leaned back in his chair as far as he could go. He was getting tired of everybody being willfully ignorant of their situation. It really wasn't just the players‘ attitudes he needed to fix. The staff were really just as bad. 

While the coaches obviously tried to support the team, most of what they did was pretty damaging. Encouraging the rift between the pitchers and the fielders really wasn't helping them get along. He would probably have to have another meeting soon, and it would hopefully go better than the last couple he had had. 

Two days later, Itsuki was lacing up his cleats in preparation for the game. He had gotten to the bench early to watch everything get set up. He really should have been warming up, stretching, or taking practice swings, but he was a bit distracted at the moment. 

For the last few games, he had been far too focused on winning to think of much else. Now that he was in the swing of things however, he couldn't help but notice how Tokuchi was dressed. He was wearing the same partial uniform as the rest of the coaching staff. Grey pants, a team jersey with no number, and the coaching jacket. Nothing special. But the sight of the Mariners logo across his back made him feel a little funny. 

It was probably because he was unused to seeing Tokuchi out of the garish yellow uniforms the Lycaons wore. No doubt about that! It did look good on him though. Those uniforms were meant to be flattering on older men, so of course it would look better on Tokuchi, who was far younger and better built than its intended wearer. 

The increasing chatter of the growing crowd soon snapped him out of it. With one last glance over at Tokuchi, who seemed to be flipping through some charts, he made his way onto the field to hit some warm-up pitches. It probably wouldn't be too much of a hassle to win.

Two innings in, and they were struggling to keep up. Something had happened after the last season. The Blue Mars had always been weak at away games, so they should have been wiping the floor with them. But Williams was as nasty as ever. Despite his successes, he still wasn't pitching him any knuckleballs. He hadn't pitched any to Amami either. For some reason, they had both either gotten stupidly easy fastballs or had been walked. 

Their batters had also been nasty, and their starting pitchers were struggling to keep up. Somehow, they had gotten much better at reading which pitches were going to be thrown since last season. Everybody was a little shaken, even Imawano, who tried his best to hide his anxiety. Before long, they were tied 9-9. They only had the rest of this inning and one more. They would be batting next, and he knew he had to break this tie. 

While he waited for Mizuhashi to end this embarrassment, he made his way over to Tokuchi. 

“What do you know so far?” he asked. “I haven't seen you tell the coaches anything. That means you're onto something.”

Tokuchi looked over at him and narrowed his eyes. “I haven't really seen anything yet that deserves mentioning,” he said, turning back to the field. Itsuki was having none of that. They needed to win this game and keep going strong. They couldn't lose their momentum. Even he could see the strain showing in the team.

“No idea.” Tokuchi stated, not bothering to turn to look at him. “I do get the feeling though that Williams is coming out one more time.”

That was surprising to Itsuki. Williams had already pitched for the first half of the game. He had to be wearing out. Nevertheless, Tokuchi could be right. If so, he would probably get another fastball or a walk, and since Amami was right behind him in the lineup, he could count on the same for him as well.

“Thanks for the heads up.” Itsuki said, before heading back over to his spot on the bench. 

“What was that about?” Amami asked, looking at him incredulously. 

“Nothing really.” Itsuki said. “Apparently Williams may be showing his face again next inning.”

Amami looked over at him slowly, doubt written across his features. “Seriously?” He muttered. “Maybe he won't be pitching again for a few days.”

“Maybe.” Itsuki replied. “Just be ready for him if he does.” At that Amami nodded at him just before they heard a third strike announced, giving them notice of the start of the next inning. 

A few minutes later, Itsuki found himself at the plate, assuming the position. Tokuchi was right. Williams had come out for what they were no doubt hoping to be the last inning. Itsuki let the first pitch whizz by. Almost a ball. On the next pitch, he followed its trajectory, prepared to swing, and swiftly made contact with his bat. A fly ball to the outfield. 

The fielder luckily missed the ball, giving him time to get to first. Next was Amami. Hopefully he would knock it out of the park. Itsuki wanted to end this disaster of a game now before the Blue Mars could embarrass them any more. With Amami on the plate, Williams threw another pitch that was likely supposed to be a ball, but Amami must have seen an opportunity, as he swung with everything he had, and sent it into the upper deck just past the home run zone. Takami flashed a smile at his teammate as he ran home, off the field. With that, they were 11-9. They would hopefully keep the lead.

With some luck, they did manage to keep it, ending the game on time. Takami’s nerves were a bit frazzled. He wasn't expecting to have to work that hard. On his way out, he glanced up at the sky. The heavy clouds reflected his mood pretty well. 

The next day, the rain began. It lasted well into the evening, and washed away any chance to play. As the team got the announcement in the club room, a groan arose from the gathered men. They all stood up and moved to change and pack their bags. Just when Itsuki was preparing to leave, he had a brilliant idea. 

He caught Tokuchi right as he was about to leave. “Hey-” he called, stopping the other man. “Want to go celebrate now?” he asked. 

Tokuchi looked at him like he was crazy. “Celebrate what?” he asked. 

“Finishing the program” Itsuki said. “It’s a bit belated, but we should still do it.”

“Fine.” Tokuchi said. “What were you thinking?”

“We could go to a casino or something. I hear you're into that sort of thing.” Itsuki said. “Got any recommendations?” 

Tokuchi snorted. “I don't think we should go to any place I would recommend. The people there would chew you up and spit you out. We could go to a more commercialized casino. There’s one not too far from here.”

With that, Itsuki found himself riding through the rain in Tokuchi’s needlessly flashy car. Yellow wouldn't have been his first choice, but at least the car could be seen easily by others through the storm. The ride over was silent, occasionally punctuated by a clap of thunder. Eventually, they pulled under the canopy of a flashy casino, complete with dazzling neon lights. It must have been a nicer one, because Tokuchi passed of the keys to a valet without a word. 

Once inside, Tokuchi crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at him. “Well?” he asked. 

“Well what?” Itsuki asked back. 

“I’ll follow you.” Tokuchi said. “This was your idea, and I do this pretty often.” He turned to face the main floor of the casino. “Plus, I kind of want to see this. I wonder how badly you can lose before you give up.”

Itsuki knew he was intentionally riling him up, but he still let himself fall for the bait. “Fine,” He replied, before going off in a random direction. Soon he found himself in front of a low stakes roulette table. That wouldn't be too hard. No work on his part. Just make a guess and see what happens. 

Itsuki walked up to the dealer, and put about 1,500 yen on black, ignoring the snort of derision from behind him. He understood that 1,500 yen was chump change for some master gambler or whatever, but he didn't want to lose a ton of money, and he didn't want to leave early. Soon, Tokuchi walked up beside him and put 3,000 yen on red, flicking his eyes over him as he did.

Itsuki, of course, lost, with Tokuchi walking away with 1,500 yen more than he had come in with. 

Takami really didn't feel confident enough to play any card games, so he avoided those tables. After a few more minutes of wandering around looking lost, Tokuchi finally sat him down at a 100 yen slot machine. 

“This is embarrassing,” he said. “Just do this. You don't have to be good at anything to win on this one.” Normally Itsuki would have bristled at the barb, but Tokuchi was right. After a few rounds, he had made back some of what he had lost. He had even managed to strike up a little conversation with Tokuchi about the merits of the system they had used for the database. Tokuchi obviously didn't know as much about computers as he did, so it was a bit one sided. Despite that, he was having a pretty good time. 

Their conversation was soon interrupted by a momentous clap of thunder, accompanied by almost every light in the casino shutting off. They sat there in the dark, silent for a moment before everybody in the casino started talking at once, a few of the drunker women contributing to the din with their screams. Within seconds however, the lights were back on, and the sound of the slot machines booting up drowned out any sign of terror. Managers had flooded the floor, telling the patrons that the power was back in, but unfortunately there had been power outages across the town. Additionally, the road to the casino had been blocked by some debris knocked down by the storm.

Toa looked over at Takami with disgust, only to have his look matched by the other. No way was he going to be trapped here overnight with Takami Itsuki. Just then, he got an idea. 

“Hey,” he started. “Wanna get out of here?” 

Takami nodded, but looked at him like he was crazy. “They said the road was blocked by a tree or something. We can't get around it.”

“I know a way,” Toa simply stated, then stood up. “I'm leaving. You're welcome to come too.” With that, the two men made their way outside, but not before Toa snagged his keys from an incredulous valet. On their way out to the car, they were pelted with fat drops of rain, each gust of wind making the onslaught more painful than the last. Once they got to his car, they sat still for a minute. Both their shirts were completely see through. Well then. 

After he was able to collect himself, Toa started the car, enjoying the familiar rush of the powerful engine. He then pulled out and made his way down the road, where, lo and behold, a tree had fallen, blocking both lanes of traffic. 

“What was your plan?” Takami asked, confused. Toa looked over at him, face illuminated by the streetlights, then steered the car and gunned the engine so they were driving over the small field on the wrong side of the road. Takami yelped, losing some of his dignity, but was soon laughing as he rode in a car that had cost six figures through a field and around the giant tree. Toa couldn't help but join him. It was kind of exhilarating, even if he would need a wash after this. Soon, they were back on the main road, making their way back towards the stadium. Once they got there, the lighthearted atmosphere dissolved. Once Toa pulled into the spot next to Takami’s, he made a choice. Probably a stupid one. 

“Hey,” he said, causing Takami to look over at him with two twinkling blue eyes. “You might want to review Williams’s pitches. You'll probably find something interesting.”

Takami looked puzzled, but nodded. “I might just have to do that,” He said, before ducking out of Toa’s car and into his own, then pulling away. Toa sat there for a moment, letting himself be mesmerized by the start swish swish of his windshield wipers. He really did need to stop hanging out with Takami Itsuki.


	11. Chapter Eleven

After the previous day’s debacle with the storm, Itsuki was alright with avoiding Tokuchi. Hell, Tokuchi was avoiding him even more than usual. Pushing that thought aside, Itsuki turned his focus back to batting practice. Later that evening, they would play the Blue Mars. Thinking back to what Tokuchi said, he tried to think about what it meant. And the motivation behind it. He then decided that maybe it was worth looking into. 

Itsuki called out to the second string pitcher that was helping him and let him know he was stopping early. The pitcher did his best to not look relieved. On his way over to the AV room, Itsuki thought about the game that night and what Tokuchi meant when he said to check out Williams’s knuckle ball. Once he got the tapes set up, he settled back to observe. 

After about 5 minutes of watching pitch after pitch, Itsuki felt a bit sick. There was no way around it. That knuckle ball was spinning. That was bad. Very bad. He had to tell Imawano. He honestly had no idea how Tokuchi had caught that if even he hadn't seen it from the bench. He sat there for a minute in shock, trying to reconcile what he saw with what he knew. 

The Blue Mars had always been polite and sportsmanlike. They had always tried their hardest, and they truly seemed to care for each other when they did interviews. Itsuki’s hands fisted on the table. How could they have all been so blind? If they were willing to risk a fake knuckle ball, who knows what else they were pulling? Itsuki stood up suddenly, knocking his chair over backwards. He paused for a second, and made his decision. 

On the way to the coach’s office, he reviewed what he knew. One. The Blue Mars had to know Williams was cheating. Two. Tokuchi somehow found out. And three. This would no doubt blow up into a huge scandal. He had no idea whether or not Tokuchi would get blowback for his discovery. 

Itsuki had no idea how this hadn't been caught yet. Didn't they have people whose whole job was to analyze pitches? He was confused as hell. Why would they want to cheat anyway?

Just then, Itsuki started to get angry. How had they not seen this? How had he not seen this? No wonder he wasn't pitching knuckleballs to him or Amami. They would have noticed it. At that, his confidence in his teammates wavered a bit. How had they not noticed? 

As Itsuki stormed down the corridor, he felt his anger fade a bit. This wasn't his teammates‘ fault. He should have noticed the knuckleball way sooner. His anger was quickly replaced by disappointment as he came to a stop in front of the coaching offices. He took a deep breath, and then knocked on the door. 

Ten minutes later, his ears were ringing as he stood by half the coaching staff in front of the projector. They had gotten an audiovisual tech to slow down the footage and zoom in. The quality was horrible, but Itsuki was able to show some evidence as to the nature of the knuckleball. After the video ended, he stood there dumbly along with the other occupants of the room. Slowly, Coach Imawano stood up and turned so that he could face the entire room. 

“As you all know, this is extremely distressing,” he began. “While I am certain that Takami is right about this knuckleball, the league chairs may be thrown off. They certainly won’t do anything before the game tonight. Even if we do expose them now, we would be the ones looking foolish. Who knows how long they’ve been pulling this? Williams has been playing for quite some time now.”

With that, the rest of the coaches started muttering amongst themselves. 

“We could try to appeal after the game,” Assistant Coach Takahashi suggested.

“We would look like sore losers,” Second Base Coach Oeda countered.

“You’re assuming we’ll lose again, aren't you?” Assistant Batting Coach Tanaka spat.

Before the hoard of coaches could start the brawl that had apparently been a long time coming, Coach Imawano raised his voice.

“We’ll catch them during the game,” he said. “There’s no way we can let them get away with making us look like fools in front of the entire country.” There was some muttering from the coaching staff, but not one spoke up against him. Finally, he turned to Itsuki. “How did you find out about this fake knuckleball?” he asked. “Why didn’t you catch it before?”

Itsuki glanced over at Tokuchi in the corner of the room. He still maintained his usual icy exterior. “Tokuchi pointed it out,” he finally said, shamefully. “I never caught it. Tokuchi mentioned that he thought something was off.” Itsuki paused, realizing that he could be getting him in trouble. “He didn’t say anything to you because he wasn’t sure, and didn’t want to cause a fuss. He figured that I would see if anything was wrong with it,” He finished lamely.

Coach Imawano looked over at Tokuchi suspiciously. “Didn’t want to cause a fuss, huh? Sounds just like you.” he said, then turned to face him all the way. “Fine then. How did YOU manage to catch it?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Tokuchi however, didn’t seem to be bothered by the sudden suspicion cast over himself. “The other day, the ball was moving strangely, and in the playback, it didn’t move like a typical knuckleball.”

Coach Imawano sighed in exasperation. “So you’re telling me that some rookie was able to catch what could be the biggest scandal in recent memory by watching a few playbacks?” He took his hat off and rubbed his face. “How was it, then, that our own analysts weren’t able to catch it?”

Tokuchi shrugged. “I was wondering the same thing myself,” he said. “I’m obviously not anything special since I’m an assistant to the assistant coach, but somehow I was able to catch it”. 

Coach Imawano glared at him. “You’re here on special consideration. If I were you, I would watch my tongue.”

Tokuchi looked back at him, unperturbed. “If I were you, I’d be embarrassed.” 

Itsuki saw the situation quickly escalating, so he quickly interrupted. “We get it!” he began. “The point is, we found Williams out, and now we need to catch him in action. All we need now is a plan.”

The tension in the room dropped palpably after he spoke, and Coach Imawano turned away from Tokuchi. “Fine,” he said. “As I was saying, we need to catch them in action. Otherwise, we’ll have to face a much larger investigation. One I’d like to avoid if possible. So.” He said, turning his attention to Tokuchi. “You’ll be assisting us tonight.” With that, he picked up his jacket and his hat, and walked out of the room, leaving everyone behind. 

The rest of the coaching staff left soon after that, one actually pausing to compliment Tokuchi on his catch. Finally, it was just the two of them left in the room. “Why did you tell them I caught it?” Tokuchi finally asked. 

“Because it was your find. I wanted to make sure you got credit where it was due,” Itsuki replied.

“I really don’t need your help with that,” Tokuchi said, before turning and walking out of the room, leaving Itsuki by himself.

Itsuki stood there for a moment, going over the interaction he had just had. For some reason, the confrontation with Coach Imawano wasn’t bothering him nearly as much as it should have. He was more perturbed by Tokuchi. He was being given an opportunity that most people in his position would have given their right nut for. But here he was, asking him why he didn’t take all the credit. That guy really needed to get some new friends. The ones he had obviously weren’t treating him right.

That night, Toa was standing in the dugout next to Imawano in full uniform. He was officially on coaching duty tonight, something he had not agreed to. He was supposed to be helping with teamwork, not strategy. But one glance over at Imawano, and he knew that not even he could argue the issue down. He would be assisting the head coach tonight, and he better act like he’s enjoying it. Glancing out over the field, he felt a familiar little thrill in his stomach. Even though he was being forced to do this, he had to admit to himself that he was probably going to have fun. He had fun when he beat them the first time, and to Toa, it looked like they had gotten better over the winter intersession.

Looking down, he flipped through the charts and figures an assistant had provided him with before the game. The Blue Mars were in good shape today. Poor guys didn’t even know what was coming. They had to have some idea of what the Mariners were capable of, knowing he was helping them now, but their performance in the first game probably reassured them that he wouldn’t be participating. Looking over at the players on the bench, Toa caught Takami’s eye, and gave him a little half smile. The prospect of the upcoming beatdown was putting him in a good mood. 

Once the batting order had been determined, the game started with a bang. Rodrigo got a pretty good hit off of Mizuhashi, but thankfully it rolled to Takami on third, who was able to get it to first in time. Close call though. After a mediocre beginning, most likely due to sign stealing or whatnot, they were up to bat. Williams stayed put in the Blue Mars dugout. So Toa stayed put next to Imawano, listening to his comments and delegating the signs he was ordered to give, leaving the batting lineup to do what they did best.

Soon though, they were up by five points with good hits by both Brooklyn and Thomas, and a pitcher change was announced. Williams would be taking the mound. He looked over at the Mariners dugout, made eye contact with Toa, and smirked. Toa smiled serenely back, causing Williams to falter briefly. Nobody liked it when he smiled genuinely. Before Kitaooji could go out, Toa gave Imawano the sign that he would tell him what to do, then signalled Kitaooji to strike out. Kitaooji grimaced at him, then sighed in acquiescence. 

Kitaooji followed Toa’s instructions, and struck out on the third knuckleball Williams threw. The bastard was really showing off tonight. The next few batters struck out without any need for Toa to tell them to, and the inning was over. Mizuhashi held them off beautifully in the next inning, and after only six at-bats, they were at the top of the second. The next few innings stretched out like that, with only Takami and Amami getting hits. Before long though, Toa was getting bored of assuring the Blue Mars that he wasn’t going to mess with them, then signalled Imawano again. After giving Thomas the go-ahead, his plan was in motion. 

Thomas, now aware of the fake knuckleball, was given the momentous task of fouling the ball, which, after two strikes, he did beautifully. The ball sailed into the net, but before it could be caught, Thomas was running to first. Williams looked over sharply in shock, then glanced over to the catcher to see what he would do, but it was too late. Thomas was much faster than they had anticipated, and was already on first. Williams briefly bent over, putting his hands on his knees. Probably having a flashback or something. His moment of shock didn’t last long however, and he was back to pitching. He was obviously on to them, as he didn’t pitch a knuckleball for the rest of the inning, surrendering a few more points. 

Toa knew Imawano was beginning to get impatient with how slow the revelation was coming, so he figured that he’d speed it along. Surprisingly enough, he just wasn’t feeling another game of cat and mouse. Next inning, he would finish it. The Blue Mars were up to bat, and Mizuhashi was looking ready to hold them off. Toa looked over to tell Imawano that he was going to the back for a minute, but was interrupted by someone violently yanking him down to the ground. Before he could even react, there was a loud CRACK, and splinters flew everywhere. Toa looked around from his position on the ground. Everybody was either staring down at him, or over at Rodrigo, who briefly tipped his helmet and shouted an apology. Looking up, he could see that a bat had struck the wall where his head had been only milliseconds ago. Looking to his right, he could see that it was Amami who had yanked him out of the way. Toa made the motions to thank him, but he was already up with the other players shouting at Rodrigo and the umpire. Toa sat there for another second before he got back up. He shook it off and took his place next to where Imawano would have been had he not been yelling at a referee. 

Toa sighed shortly and concentrated on getting back to the game. Rodrigo was suitably admonished, and things were back on track. Honestly, Toa should have expected that. The flying bat really didn’t deter him. It was honestly kind of funny. It was a nice throwback to when he just about took that pitcher’s head off. 

By the next inning, things had progressed enough that Toa felt comfortable going ahead and finishing things. With a sign, Thomas fouled the ball, although he hit it hard enough to blast its guts out, exposing a sliver of something that seemed to catch the umpire’s attention. A little sliver of ice. They had not only weighted the ball with water; they had frozen it. That would give it less distance when it was hit. Unfortunately for Williams, it also left solid evidence of his misdeeds behind. Unsurprisingly, he and the catcher were ejected from the game. Toa smiled at him one last time as he was being escorted off the field.

Sometimes the simplest solution was the most effective. He doubted another team could have pulled it off. To hit it with that kind of precision in such a way that destroys the ball, exposing something suspicious, took a level of skill that only a few players had. He had enjoyed the lead up though. By the time he was ready to act, the Blue Mars probably thought he was going to pull some complicated trick like he had last time.

Toa heaved a sigh, then took a seat. His work was done. He had exposed the knuckleball, now Imawano just had to yell and fuss enough that there would be some kind of retribution. Apparently Imawano was especially good at screaming and fussing that Shirooka soon emerged from the Blue Mars dugout and forfeited the game. That was a surprise. The mood in the dugout was suddenly brighter than before. After the attempted decapitation on his person, the team was significantly happier with the resounding boos and jeers the other team was receiving. Toa stood up and exited the dugout, leaving the team to their celebration. He had other things to do. 

Before he could make it too far, someone came up behind him, and shoved him into the locker room, slamming him against a locker. Toa blinked away the stars, and shoved the other man away. Expecting an attack, Toa thrust the heel of his hand up to break the other person’s nose, but paused. It was just Takami. 

Takami maintained eye contact with him for a second, looking overwhelmed, then kissed him long and hard, pressing him harder into the locker. They stood like that for a second before Toa opened his mouth, deepening the kiss before wrapping his arms around the other. After a minute, they pulled apart, looking at each other. Toa had never seen Takami look so vulnerable. That, along with the elation of grinding the Blue Mars into the dust spurred him on, and he yanked Takami back to kiss him harder than before. 

Takami was obviously excited about the victory too, but judging by the press against his side, he was obviously excited about something else. Toa reached down with one hand, grabbed Takami’s hip, and pressed it into his own. Judging by the gasp he got, he had the right idea. Before long, they were both out of breath. Takami pulled away first, and buried his head in the crook of Toa’s shoulder, lips ghosting over his neck as he muttered something incomprehensible. The nearing voices of his teammates seemed to knock some sense back into him, as he muttered a quick apology, and rushed deeper into the locker room, leaving Toa standing alone once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody, I hope you're enjoying my fic so far! Just a heads up; the rating will change next chapter.


	12. Chapter Twelve

The next day, Itsuki was sitting in his apartment trying not to think about his stupidity the day before. He had gotten so caught up in the elation of the win, relief that the bat didn’t kill Toa, and amazement at seeing Tokuchi in action that he had acted impulsively. To be fair, Tokuchi hadn’t stopped him. At least not after he almost broke his nose. He had to admit to himself though, it was kind of hot that he would just try to fight him acting on reflex alone. Itsuki sighed to himself. He really did need to stop this thing with Tokuchi. They hung out too much, and they had already made out twice. This wasn’t going anywhere good. Just then, he got a text. Tokuchi, of course, saying they needed to talk.

That was it then. Nothing ever went well when someone vaguely texts you, telling you that you need to talk. Itsuki heaved another sigh, and texted Tokuchi back, asking for a time and place. Tokuchi of course, requested neutral ground. The coffee shop they had gone to on his first day with the team. Itsuki grabbed his keys and wallet, gave his apartment a once over, then walked out the door. 

Twenty minutes later, he was sitting in the coffee shop, waiting for Tokuchi to show up. Of course the bastard would set up a time, make him anxious, and keep him waiting. He was probably going to tell him to stay the hell away from him from now on. For one reason or another, that hurt. While he definitely had come to terms with the fact that he was attracted to Tokuchi, he had also come to like him. He was intelligent, had a sense of humor, and was overall really interesting. He had his flaws, and a lot of them, but Itsuki honestly considered him a friend at this point. The events of the past season seemed so far away now, and any lingering animosity had taken a backseat sometime since the beginning of the season.

Before Itsuki could ruminate more, he heard the chime of the bell on the door ring. It took every ounce of his self-control to not turn around while Tokuchi ordered. Before too long, Tokuchi sat himself beside Itsuki. Itsuki did his best to not look anxious, but it became apparent that he was doing a piss poor job. Tokuchi sat his drink down beside himself and leaned back on his chair, crossing his legs.

“I’m guessing you know why I texted you, right?” he asked.

“I’m not stupid,” Itsuki responded, trying not to cringe at how rude he sounded.

“Thankfully.” Tokuchi responded. Itsuki made to interrupt, but Tokuchi held up a hand, silencing him. “Listen,” he said. “I don’t mind being around you, and that’s a lot for me. You aren’t all that annoying, and you’re able to hold your own against me. I don’t find many people that can do that. I don’t want whatever went on last night to mess with that.”

Itsuki quickly interrupted. “Neither do I,” he managed to say before Tokuchi interrupted him.

“Good. So how about this: we stay friends, because that’s what we are at this point,” he said. “For now at least,” he amended. Itsuki sat quietly in relief. So Tokuchi really wasn’t interested after all. Not surprising. But it was a relief that he thought they were friends. He honestly felt a bit warmer when he heard that. Tokuchi wasn’t done talking yet, as he cleared his throat to get Itsuki’s attention and continued. “I wouldn’t be opposed to continuing a physical relationship though. I’ve done it before. It’s easier and less messy than a relationship, so everybody will be happy,” he finished. Itsuki sat there for a minute staring at Tokuchi. He wanted to get physical with him. He felt a bit of a tingle in the pit of his stomach when he heard that.

Toa let his offer absorb for a second. Takami looked a bit shocked at his suggestion, and he didn’t blame him. Had it been the other way around, he would probably feel the same way. Before long, the other man seemed to snap out of it, as he took a deep breath and let it out. “I’d be fine with that,” he finally said. Toa half smiled then stood up.

“Good. I’m glad that’s resolved then,” he said, then walked over towards the door. As expected, Takami followed after him, managing to hit his shin against the corner of a low table on his way. Toa ignored the cursing from the other man, then paused at the door. “You should probably get to practice,” he said, looking Takami up and down. “You wouldn’t want Imawano to get on your ass, would you?”

Takami snorted then spoke up. “So you’re going to basically become my friend with benefits, then ditch me?” he asked.

Toa tilted his head to the side a bit, and raised an eyebrow at the other man. “You really want to do something here? In front of a city street full of people?”

Tamaki looked around reluctantly, and then shook his head. “Ah, probably not. I doubt you need the media attention right now,”

Toa blinked at him slowly. “I probably don’t. They’re lambasting me enough for going turncoat. I really don’t need any more ammunition against me,”

“As if you care about that,” Takami said, smiling wryly at him.

“I really don’t,” Tokuchi said before walking past Takami. “But you probably should,” he said quietly as he walked away, leaving Itsuki to wonder what he meant by that.

Itsuki couldn’t concentrate. For as long as he could remember, he was able to clear his mind of whatever was distracting him when he was playing baseball, but today, he was just out of it. The other players were starting to notice. The batting coach looked worried. Itsuki quickly brushed him off, saying something about how his shoulder felt stiff. That was the wrong thing to say in that moment, however, as he was promptly sent inside for a massage. Just one of the many amenities that made being a pro worth it. Usually. Today however, he just couldn’t wait to leave. 

Finally, the massage therapist was done with him. Apparently his shoulder was full of knots. Not surprising, considering the stress he was putting his body under. On his way out, he stopped. He probably had time to swing by Tokuchi’s office. He thought about that for a second. Should he keep calling him Tokuchi? Or were they on a first name basis? That would probably need to be figured out. Before he got close to his destination, he ducked into a bathroom to check his appearance. Goddammit, he was acting like a teenager. He would still primp a bit anyway. Once inside, he combed his fingers through his hair. It was getting a bit long. It was slightly past his shoulders now. Next, he straightened his button up shirt and adjusted his slacks. He adjusted his piercings briefly, then headed out, intending to stop getting distracted.

A few minutes later, he was standing in the doorway of Tokuchi’s office. Tokuchi seemed content to ignore him as he filled out some papers on his desk. Itsuki quickly ran out of patience, and cleared his throat, forcing Tokuchi to acknowledge him. “What are you up to?” he asked once Tokuchi finally looked up.

“Not much. Just filling out an incident report for the game the other day,” he stated. Oh yeah. That was still a thing that happened. “I’m just about done,” Tokuchi said, nodding his head over at the folding chair Itsuki had used when he was helping Tokuchi with his database. That felt like years ago now. After about ten minutes of watching Tokuchi fill out paperwork, Itsuki was startled out of the trance he’s worked himself into when Tokuchi stood up. 

“I’m leaving now,” Tokuchi said. When he saw Itsuki look up at him hopefully, he gave him a little half smile. “You’re welcome to join me if you so choose,” he offered. Itsuki stood up and followed Tokuchi out of the room. “So how do you want to do this?” Tokuchi asked as they walked.

Itsuki was thrown for a loop. He knew Tokuchi knew what he was there for, but he didn’t think they’d get right to it. The newness of the situation didn’t help. Tokuchi took his silence for hesitation, and stopped walking. “We can wait if you want,” he said. “We don’t have to start right away.”

Itsuki brushed a long strand of hair behind his ear and nodded out towards the parking lot. “I’m down for anything,” he said, bracing himself. He’d been with both men and women before. He knew what to expect. Tokuchi glanced over at him skeptically. 

“Whatever you say,” he said. Once they were outside, Tokuchi stopped him. “How do you want to do this?” he asked. “My place, your place, or...” Tokuchi began before he faded off. By “or” he probably meant a hotel. That was a bit too impersonal. 

“My place is fine,” Itsuki said. “Do you want to go together or separate?”

“Separate,” Tokuchi said. “I have some things I need to take care of later on.”

“Gambling?” Itsuki asked, unsurprised.  
“Mhm,” Tokuchi confirmed. With that, they went their separate ways, and soon they met up again in front of Itsuki’s building. They silently rode the elevator up to his floor and walked over to his door. “Sorry for the mess,” Itsuki said before opening the door and stepping in, knowing full well his apartment looked fine. Tokuchi followed him closely, and shut the door behind him. They stood there for a minute, Tokuchi absentmindedly looking around, probably looking down on his plain but cozy living room. Itsuki on the other hand, was starting to feel it. He could practically hear his pulse, and he already felt the heat in his chest. 

Itsuki finally tired of standing there, and stepped closer to Toa, who placed his hands on Itsuki’s shoulders, looking him right in the eyes. They were the exact same height. He hadn’t really thought of that before. Before he could over think things more, Tokuchi closed the distance between them and kissed him softly. Itsuki inhaled slowly as he let himself be kissed. He was a bit surprised. He had expected Tokuchi to be a bit more aggressive. Itsuki quickly cleared his mind, and slowly kissed Tokuchi back, wrapping his arms around Tokuchi’s waist. They stood like that for a minute. Itsuki let himself enjoy the warmth of their closeness, along with the slowly rising heat from his core. Before he could deepen the kiss further, Tokuchi leaned back and wiped his mouth off on his hand. Itsuki should have been offended, but he was still so absorbed in the heat of the moment that he didn’t care.

Tokuchi glanced around the apartment for a couple of seconds before Itsuki realized what he was doing. He was looking for the bedroom. He inhaled sharply at the implication, made a decision, and went towards his bedroom, Tokuchi following closely behind him. He opened the door, but didn't have time to stand there like a fool, as Tokuchi was right on him, his hands roaming over his chest, up into his hair, and back down again. He must have liked what he felt, as he quickly started to unbutton Itsuki’s shirt and pull it off his shoulders. Itsuki quickly got with the program, too, and began unbuttoning Tokuchi’s shirt as well, slowly exposing his chest. He didn't look nearly as strong as he was. He pushed the thought from his mind as he began to run his hands over Tokuchi, before sliding them down to his belt. Tokuchi fisted one hand in his hair, when he yanked his head over to the side before nipping and sucking at his neck. 

“Don't leave any marks,” Itsuki managed to gasp out as Tokuchi ran his nails lightly down his back. 

Finally, Itsuki pushed Tokuchi away so he could concentrate on getting his pants and shoes off. Like a fool, he'd worn his shoes into his bedroom. Then again, it wasn't like he was in his right mind at the moment. Looking over, he confirmed that Tokuchi was doing the same. After a few seconds, they were both standing there in their underwear, wondering how to proceed. 

Toa was a bit thrown. He's had male lovers of course, but they had never done anything like this to him before. He could feel a flush creeping up his chest, and his mind was in disarray. He couldn't concentrate on schooling his expression, and he was breathing heavily. All he wanted to do was get closer to Itsuki Takami. He had no ulterior motive, and he wasn't rushing to get this over with so he could gamble. Any other time, this probably would have been concerning to him. But for now, he was fine with losing a bit of control over himself.

Toa approached Takami slowly. The other man had seated himself on the bed, leaning back a bit to brace himself on his elbows, legs partially spread just enough so he could lean down and kiss him. It didn't last long however, as Takami quickly laid down, bringing Toa with him, then rolled them over so that Toa was on bottom with Takami pinning his wrists. That wouldn’t do. Toa quickly jerked his arms up over his head, destabilizing Takami, and then jerked his hips to the side, using the momentum to roll them over, reversing their positions. Toa sat there, straddling him with his hands braced on either side of his head.

“Seriously?” Takami asked. 

Toa tilted his head a bit, smirked, and slid his hand down the front of Takami’s briefs, lightly grazing his length. Takami stifled a gasp, and grabbed Toa’s hand. He had no intention of turning this into a quickie hand job scenario.

“Let’s speed this up a bit,” he murmured, then grabbed Toa, kissing him soundly. He briefly dipped his fingers into the waistband of Toa’s underwear, making him tense up, but quickly withdrew them. Takami then shoved Toa off to the side, surprising him, so he could dig around in the drawer of his bedside table until he evidently found what he was looking for. Before long, Takami had brought out a condom and lubricant. He looked at Toa with smoldering eyes, and with all the dignity he could muster said “Whoever gets the condom first gets to top,” then threw it over his shoulder.

The ensuing scramble off the bed left Toa with a bruised knee and Takami with sore ribs, by the look of it. Toa lunged into the corner of the room, only to have Takami grab him by the ankle and drag him back, giving him a small rug burn. Toa retaliated by kicking Takami firmly in the gut, momentarily winding him while he threw his dignity to the wind and searched for the missing condom. Takami may be stronger, but he was more agile. Finally, he saw the telltale shine of the wrapper. Just as he was about to grab it, strong arms wrapped around his waist, and tossed him aside. Toa took the brunt of the fall on his right elbow. He was sore, rapidly tiring, and having the time of his life. He got to fight someone and have sex in the same evening. He would probably cap it off later by winning several hundred thousand yen from some hapless loser while enjoying a nice drink. God, but if he didn’t live a good life.

Toa quickly caught up to Takami, darting past him, and grabbed the condom, grinning up at Takami. Takami looked down at him with dull eyes, as if accepting his fate. “Well then,” he said. With that, Toa stood up, ignoring his injuries, placed his hands on Takami’s chest, then shoved him back onto the bed. Takami bounced once, then scooted back, making room for Toa between his legs. Toa obliged him, pushing him back more to make room for himself. Takami gave him a coy look, slid his underwear off, then reached for the lube.

“I prefer to do this part myself,” he said while he liberally coated his fingers. Toa sat back on his heels, and watched Takami prepare himself. He could practically hear his heartbeat while he watched Takami fingerfuck himself. That was probably one of the hottest things he had ever seen. After another minute or so, Takami pulled his fingers out and beckoned Toa closer. “Are you still cool to do this?” he asked, voice somehow steady.

“Yeah,” was Toa’s eloquent response.

“Let’s get to it then,” Takami said as he slid Toa’s underwear down around his hips. Toa finally snapped out of it, and brushed Takami’s hands away. He could do this himself. After he had divested himself of his last article of clothing, he sat there bare in front of Itsuki Takami. He honestly didn’t know how he found himself in these weird situations. This was a welcome situation, but weird nonetheless. Hopefully he had made the right decision propositioning Takami. Otherwise, he could have made the next six months hell on earth. 

Toa was once again snapped out of it when Takami pulled him down on top of him for a kiss. Toa was content to lie there for a moment before he began to get impatient. Takami must have felt him stir, because he reached over to grab the condom, and then tossed it at Toa’s face. Toa caught it with less skill than he should have, then ripped it open. Takami stared at him while he rolled it on, then coated it himself with lube. Takami had a game in a few days; it would be bad if he were too sore to play. With that, Toa positioned himself against Takami, and with little resistance, he pushed in.

Toa had to stay still for a minute so he wouldn't embarrass himself early. That would be just about the worst thing that could happen to him. Finally, Takami rolled his hips, giving Toa the go ahead. Toa started to move, thrusting into Takami slowly at first, before he began to pick up the pace. Soon, Takami had one hand on his shoulder and one hand buried in his hair, keeping him close. Toa could feel both of their heartbeats. He was out of breath. And he was having some of the most satisfying sex of his life. 

As he got closer, he picked up the pace, burying his face in the junction of Takami’s neck. He was getting closer too, judging by the little sounds he began to make. Toa honestly couldn't bring himself to make noise. It just wasn't something he did. He appreciated it when his bedpartners made noise, but he couldn't force himself to do the same. A steady building sensation broke him from his thoughts. Soon, his breathing was erratic and he was thrusting out of rhythm. About a minute later, Takami came unaided, raking his nails down Toa’s back, no doubt leaving red welts. The sensation soon had Toa coming, spending himself inside Takami, grabbing his wrists as he came down from the high. 

Soon, Toa pulled out of Takami, threw the used condom away, and laid there, staring at the ceiling. This was always the awkward part. Toa was never sure of whether to stay for a bit and cuddle, or leave right away. He honestly couldn't see himself cuddling with Takami just yet. Luckily, he didn't have to worry. They both lay there for a couple of minutes before Takami broke the silence. 

“You alright?” he asked, looking over at him slowly. 

“Yeah. You?” Toa asked. 

“Yeah,” Takami replied. 

After a few more minutes, Takami seemed to come back to himself. “You can go ahead if you want” Takami said. “I know you've got other plans tonight”.

 

Toa felt a bit of relief. He'd worried that Takami would have asked him to stay the night. That would have made things weird. Or at least weirder than they already were. “Thanks,” he said. “We should do that again soon.” After he dressed, Takami grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him one last time before seeing him out. On his way to his favorite seedy little casino, Toa couldn't help but notice that his feeling of satisfaction had quickly been replaced by a sense of confusion. That threw Toa for a loop. Confusion was one sensation he could comfortably say he was unfamiliar with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was my first time writing anything like this, so I hope it was alright!


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Itsuki woke up slowly, relishing the feel of his clean sheets against his skin. Opening his eyes, he laid on his side and watched the sun slowly creep up his wall. Before long, a telltale soreness set in. Just then, the events of the previous night came back to him. He stilled for a moment. He had had sex with Tokuchi, and had enjoyed it immensely. He laid in bed for a bit longer than usual, chewing over the events of the day before, and how it came to be that he and Tokuchi had finally moved past whatever had been keeping them from taking their apparent mutual attraction to its logical conclusion.

Pride, he figured. Pride and a bit of arrogance and embarrassment. At least on his behalf. Who knows if Tokuchi felt embarrassment or even shame for anything? Finally, he rolled out of bed, and walked over to the shower with all the grace he could muster. Tokuchi certainly hadn’t taken it easy on him. He was lucky that it was just a practice day. If they had had a game that evening, he would be in for a tough time. 

After finishing his morning routine, Itsuki arrived at the stadium for practice. As he walked through the inner corridor that was only used by the staff, he let his mind drift a bit. He wondered what Tokuchi thought of last night. He hoped he had had as much fun as he did. He might have to stop by his broom closet after a while. He didn’t expect much, but he did hope that things wouldn’t be too awkward from now on.

During practice, Itsuki found that despite walking a little funny, he was in top condition. His form was better than ever, and his swings were increasingly accurate. It seemed as though he had been in a slump without knowing it. Maybe spending the evening with Tokuchi had cured him. Itsuki snorted to himself. Nothing like some dick therapy to help with a slump. He would have to write that one down. 

Finally, he was broken out of his thoughts when Kitaooji called out to him. 

“Hey Takami,” he cried “Coach wants you in the meeting room in fifteen minutes! Tokuchi’s going to try another meeting!”

Takami blinked over at him, and then nodded. Guess he would be seeing Tokuchi sooner than he thought. He turned back to the pitching machine to do a few more practice swings before he would head down. He might as well get as much practice in as he could today. He wanted this good streak to last.

Later on, he sat with Amami and Kira while Tokuchi stood at the front of the meeting room. Tokuchi crossed his arms, and cocked his head a bit to the side as he gazed over the gathered players. If he was going for cool and confident, then he definitely made it. 

“So,” Tokuchi began. “I’ve been observing all of you for a while now, and there are a few trends I’m noticing”. Tokuchi looked over them all pointedly. “First of all, you need to stop caring about the achievements and performance of others”. At that, he seemed to be making a point of not looking at Brooklyn or Amami. “Sometimes it’s beneficial to compete against your peers, but there are times when it becomes too much. Evidently, it has”. Tokuchi uncrossed his arms and leaned forward, placing his hands on the table in front of him to look at them straight on. “To put it simply, the entire team has become a distraction to itself. Your individual goals, achievements, and downfalls have gotten tangled up, and with that, your team dynamic has been thrown into the gutter. You all need to ignore each other more. Stop looking for criticism. Focus on your individual performance without comparing yourself to your peers”. Tokuchi looked as if he could go on, but he was interrupted when a hand shot into the air.

Watanabe, one of the new rookie players, stood up and addressed Tokuchi directly. “When you say that we shouldn’t seek criticism, doesn’t that pretty much go against everything it takes to get better?” he asked. “How are we supposed to know what we need to improve if we just rely on ourselves for feedback”.

Tokuchi leaned back off the table and sighed. “I never said that you would stop receiving criticism,” he said. “I only told you to stop seeking it out.” With that, he looked over at the small group of coaches standing nearby. “You will obviously still receive instructions and guidance from the coaching staff, but the overall purpose of this is to stop being overly critical of each other. At this point it serves no purpose.” With that, Watanabe sat down, not looking entirely satisfied. “Overall, most of the poor performance can be linked to your own individual inabilities to look past the actions and words of those around you” Tokuchi went on. “Basically what you need to do is only ask for criticism if you truly want it, and give it only when asked. It’s very simple. Nobody should struggle with it.”

Before anyone could interrupt, Tokuchi went on. “Speaking of goals, most of you seem to have lost track. It seems to me as if some of you have lost motivation to improve your own performance, and mainly focus on messing with your opponents. He made a point of not looking over at Itsuki.

That made him bristle a bit. He knew that he had lost track a bit last season, but it hadn't been that bad, had it? Tokuchi went on about goal chunking and focus on the self, but at that moment, Tokuchi turned to the side, and for a brief moment the ends of what were likely a couple of scratches became visible over the collar of his shirt. They were barely visible, and wouldn't be noticed easily unless someone knew what they were looking for. Itsuki gazed over at Tokuchi while he spoke, and ignored the occasional annoyed look he sent his way. Tokuchi probably didn't enjoy being looked at like a piece of meat in front of everybody, but he really couldn't help himself. It was gratifying to know Tokuchi could be marked by a normal person. The fact that he was able to mar his nearly perfect skin was all the more gratifying. 

Finally, the meeting seemed to finish, as everybody began to file out of the room, some staying behind to talk to the few coaches that had gathered. Itsuki subtly shook himself and stood up. Tokuchi walked out past him, not bothering to make eye contact. Itsuki honestly wasn't surprised. He didn't really expect anything to change after the previous evening. Tokuchi was still Tokuchi, and one lay probably wouldn't change it. Itsuki watched him walk down the hall followed by an assistant coach. He would leave him alone, then. He didn't need to see him every day after all. They were just friends, and barely at that. Besides, why was he the one always seeking Tokuchi out? Let him come to Itsuki for once. 

Over the next couple of hours, Itsuki finished his batting practice, met with a trainer, and bothered the massage therapist for a bit. Finally, he headed home. On the way, he slowly felt the high from the day melt away. He had had a good practice, and it was pretty obvious that he was improving, yet he still felt something missing. He tried not to think about that too much. 

The next day, practice was mostly spent going over strategies for their upcoming games against the Bugaboos. They were of course focusing mostly on beating Johnson. Other than that, Coach Imawano didn't seem too worried. After a bit of batting practice, Itsuki to the weight room, feeling better than he did the previous day. He was keeping his uptick from the day before. All he had to do was keep it up, and the Bugaboos would be absolutely useless against them. Before he could think about grinding the opposing team into the dust more, someone broke him out of his thoughts. 

“Hey, how are things going?” Amami asked, sitting on the bench beside him. Itsuki looked over at him and smiled. 

“Really well,” he replied. 

“What's going well?” Amami asked yet again. “Your training, or things with Tokuchi?” At that, Itsuki nearly dropped his dumbbells. 

“What do you mean?” he asked, trying to keep his cool. Amami looked over and him with a little smile. 

“Don't act like half the team didn't see those scratches,” he said lowly. “They just don't know who they came from”. 

“Well shit,” Itsuki said. “That's alright then, isn't it? Besides, how do you know?” 

Amami raised an eyebrow at him. “I know how you look at people when you have a thing for them. Other than that, you've practically been hanging off him lately. If you're trying to hide whatever relationship you may have, then you're not doing a very good job”. Itsuki had to pause at that. He wasn't really trying to hide anything, was He? Pretty much everybody he was close with knew he went both ways, and he was close with a good number of people on his team. Then, the second half of Amami’s statement sunk in. 

“There isn't a relationship,” he hissed. “Nothing emotional”. Amami snorted at that. 

“You've never been good at that,” he said. “In my experience, you get emotionally involved really easily”. 

Itsuki looked away for a brief second, then met Amami’s eyes once more. “This is different,” he said. “I have more self-control now. Besides, you get emotionally attached pretty easily too from what I recall”. Amami shrugged. 

“So what?” he said. “At least I can acknowledge it”. With that, Amami sighed. “I'm not going to start something over this,” he said carefully. “I just don't want you to get hurt, or have whatever you call it between the two of you melt down and bring the team with it”. Before Itsuki could interrupt, Amami continued. “You know it would,” he said. “Forget Tokuchi. You keep the team together far more than you will ever know”. After a few seconds of silence, Amami stood up and turned to walk away. 

“Thanks for being concerned,” Itsuki said before Amami could leave. “I'm not being sarcastic. I really mean it”. Amami gave a slight wave, then went on his way. Itsuki sat there for a couple of minutes, replaying his conversation. Amami was right to be concerned, based on past experiences, but he was older now, and he really did have more self-control. 

He really didn't feel like continuing his workout, so he placed the weights back on the rack, and walked aimlessly down the corridor. Finally, he found himself in front of Tokuchi’s little office. That irked him a bit. He really could stay away if he wanted to. Before he could move on, the door swung open, knocking him off balance. Tokuchi honestly looked a bit thrown to see his there. That wasn't a good sign. 

“Hey,” he said, articulate as ever. 

“What are you doing here?” Tokuchi asked, straight to the point as ever. 

“I'm not quite sure,” Itsuki said honestly. Tokuchi shrugged, and then stepped aside, inviting him in. Itsuki ducked inside, and stood there, awkwardly looking at Tokuchi but avoiding eye contact. 

“It’s fine, you know,” Tokuchi said. When faced with Itsuki’s incredulous look, he continued. “You don't have to have a reason every time you come here”. Itsuki smiled a bit, then approached Tokuchi. 

“So,” he began quietly. “How’s your back?” Tokuchi looked the slightest bit confused for a second before he got it.

“Oh, it's fine,” he said. “It looks worse than it is. Itsuki flicked his eyes over the two that barely showed above his collar. 

“Can I see them?” he asked in a low voice. He didn't know why he did it, but seeing something, anything mar Tokuchi s skin made him feels A Certain Way. Tokuchi narrowed his eyes at him, but nodded his assent. Turning around, Tokuchi closed and locked his door before unbuttoning his shirt. With each progressive button, his shirt slouched a bit more, revealing smooth pale skin adorned with eight angry looking scratches. Itsuki almost felt bad about it. But not quite. 

Before Tokuchi could pull his shirt back up, Itsuki approached him, and gently ran the tips of his fingers down one row of scratches. As he did, he felt Tokuchi’s back tense a bit. That could be either good or bad. The scratches were slight scabbed over, but Tokuchi was right. They did look worse than they were. Tokuchi had apparently indulged him enough, and he pulled his shirt back on, knocking Itsuki’s hand away. 

“Sorry,” Itsuki said. “That doesn't look too comfortable. 

“It’s fine,” Tokuchi said. “For some reason, I have a feeling that you're worse off than me right now”. Itsuki sighed.

“Yeah,” he said. “You're probably right there”. They stood there awkwardly looking at each other for an uncomfortable amount of time before Itsuki broke the silence. “I should probably get going,” he said quietly. “We both need to get ready to travel for the game tomorrow after all”. They would be playing the Bugaboos for the first time that season. Johnson would be playing again, and he was honestly a bit worried. 

“You're probably right,” Tokuchi said slowly. “You'll probably have your work cut out for you”. They walked out to the parking lot in silence.

“Do you have any idea of how to beat them,” Itsuki asked.

“A couple,” Tokuchi replied, not bothering to clarify. 

“Would you care to share?” Itsuki asked, leering over at Tokuchi.

Tokuchi looked annoyed for a second, but replied anyway. “For Johnson, there is a way to beat him easily”. 

Itsuki’s breath hitched when Tokuchi spoke. If they could beat Johnson, then the game would be a piece of cake. “What is it?” he asked quietly.

“What's the easiest way to stop somebody from running?” Tokuchi asked as they neared their cars. Itsuki thought for a second before he came to the logical conclusion. 

“We’re not breaking his legs, you asshole!” He cried. Tokuchi gave a short laugh at that.   
“You asked me if I knew how to beat him,” he replied. “I never said you'd like it”. 

Itsuki heaved a sigh. So this wouldn't be an easy win after all. He would live, though. It's not like he didn't appreciate a challenge after all. 

“Just to clarify,” Itsuki said. “We aren't going to break his legs”.

“We totally are,” Tokuchi said straight-faced. It was then that Itsuki realized that it's what passes for humor in his tiny mind. Itsuki snorted at him derisively before getting in his car and heading home. He had other things to do. He other things he could be doing than hanging out in a parking lot with Tokuchi. Not that he minded that, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday Toa you rat bastard.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

The mood on the bus the next day was significantly better than it was the last time they had travelled. The game against the Bugaboos was that evening, and they all felt prepared. The ride over was marked by the presence of a few members of the upper coaching staff. Some high level media representatives were riding on the staff bus, so naturally they would push them onto the player’s bus. Itsuki noted that the other players were only mildly annoyed with this development. Itsuki turned to face forward. He wouldn't let anything make him lose focus. He could only hope that the others felt the same way. 

Later that evening, they were a few innings in against the Bugaboos, and things were progressing nicely. Their pitchers had managed to fend them off reasonably well, and they had managed to stay a consistent five points ahead. Although Johnson was giving them trouble as expected, the others were remaining surprisingly calm. Itsuki glanced over to where Kawanaka was sitting. They had him to thank for fending off Johnson as much as they had. They just had to keep their lead, and they would do well.

After another round of at bats, Itsuki was feeling even more confident. Confident enough to sneak a few glances over at Tokuchi. He was wearing the typical high collared jacket that the other coaches were wearing due to the unseasonably cool chill in the air. Unfortunately, it hid the scratches Itsuki had come to be so proud of. That was probably Tokuchi’s plan. Turning back to the field, he watched as Yamakawa struck out. Thankfully, nobody did anything about it. Maybe Tokuchi was making a difference after all. As he made his way out to third base, he observed Kawanaka as he took the mound. Using him against Johnson was a calculated choice on Imawano’s behalf. As a lefty, Kawanaka was difficult for a normal batter to hit off of. Against a bunter like Johnson, he was practically invincible. Practically being the key word, as Johnson was able to bunt the first pitch that came his way, zipping over to first before anybody could do anything about it. Kawanaka only looked mildly disgruntled, and turned to face the next batter. His next pitch would likely be a fork ball. 

True to Itsuki’s prediction, Kawanaka struck out the next two batters with forks. Unfortunately, that meant Johnson still had time to get to third. Itsuki stood there a couple of feet away from him anticipating a possible pickoff attempt. One that didn't come. With the next pitch, Johnson darted over to home, and tapped the base without the catcher even coming close to getting him out. The consistency of his score was starting to get to Itsuki, and over the next few innings, it was apparently getting to the pitchers too. 

After Kawanaka was traded out with Kira, Johnson still kept up his score. Before long, they were back and neck at the top of the ninth. As Itsuki stepped out onto the field, he braced himself. He really needed to score a point. It was the only thing he could do at that point. Unfortunately, he only hit the ball with enough distance for him to get to first. Thomas hit next, getting him to second, followed by Amami who struck out. Itsuki was getting restless. They only had two more outs, then Johnson would come out once more to grind them into the dust. Luckily, Brooklyn managed to hit out into the outfield far enough that he and Thomas both were able to round home. Itsuki headed back to the dugout to observe the rest of the inning. Unfortunately, they were struck out twice more, and the Bugaboos were at bat. They only had to score two more points and the game would go into extra innings. Three, and they would win. Itsuki didn't want to start losing that early in the season. 

Mizuhashi was able to fend off the Bugaboos lineup relatively well, but not well enough that they weren't able to score one more point. With that, the game was set. They had won by a single point. That seemed to irk Imawano, as he tossed his clipboard onto the bench in a huff. 

After he had showered and changed, he headed to the hotel with most of the team. A few others had decided to go out, but Itsuki wouldn't partake that night. Not when they had morning warm up with a midday game. After they reached the hotel, he spotted Tokuchi in the lobby. Tokuchi apparently noticed him as well, as he seemed to wrap up whatever conversation he was having with another assistant, and headed his way. 

“That wasn't your best tonight,” He said, not bothering to greet him. “What's going on?”

Itsuki did his best to not get irritated with Tokuchi. He was probably just trying to do his job. Probably. 

“Not sure,” he said. “I didn't think I was that bad. Around average for me”. 

Tokuchi cocked his head at him. “Shame,” he replied. “I'm not used to you just being ‘average’”. Itsuki didn't know whether it was an insult or a compliment. Probably both. He decided to ignore it. 

“So what are you up to for the rest of the night?” he asked, trying to keep things civil. 

“I hadn't thought of it just yet,” Tokuchi said. “I've done everything I needed to do”.

“In that case,” Itsuki said, “Feel perfectly welcome to come by later,” he said quietly. “I'm in 308”. “Only of you're interested though”. Tokuchi gave him a small half smile.   
“I'll think about it,” he replied. With that, they both went their own separate ways. 

After he got back to his hotel room, Itsuki flipped the TV on. He wanted to see how the Lycaons did against the Eagles earlier. After a few minutes of watching recaps, Itsuki could honestly say he was nervous. The Lycaons had been consistently at the top when it came to scores that season, and they had won the vast majority of their games so far. As the commentators showed a slow motion recap of one of Kurai’s pitches, Itsuki couldn't help but shudder. He still didn't know how he could beat Kurai if he kept pitching the way he had been. It was honestly kind of scary having the ball come at him like that the last season. And he had never been afraid of the ball before. 

When it came down to it, it would probably be either him or Amami to hit off of Kurai, but if he was pitching the same way he had been, then it may be another year before he gave up the record he had steadily been building. As the commentator went on, Itsuki saw Kojima in the dugout. It was a shame that he’d retired, but unsurprisingly enough, he was making waves as a coach. If it weren’t for the fact that he now owned the Lycaons, he would most likely be scouted left and right. The rest of the players were also doing well at getting rid of whatever bad reputation that may have lingered from the previous season. He kind of expected them to be getting scouted as soon as some of their contracts expired. Before he could watch them dominate the Eagles more, he heard a knock at his door. Itsuki’s heart just about skipped a beat. It was probably Tokuchi. 

Itsuki made his way over without bothering to turn off the television. Tokuchi wasn’t weak. He could take watching his old team. True to form, Tokuchi stepped in without greeting him.

“So,” he started. “What did you have in mind?” Itsuki stood there dumbly for a second.

“Well, I was thinking that we could just. You know, hang out?” he asked, realizing that he didn’t have anything planned.

Tokuchi sighed. “If that’s what you call it” he muttered before closing the distance between them. Itsuki was thrown for a moment before he realized what was probably going on. Asking Tokuchi to come up to his hotel room had some less than innocent implications now that he thought about it. Whatever he was expecting, it wasn’t this. Not that he was complaining. At that moment, complaining about kissing Tokuchi was the furthest thing from his mind.

“Tokuchi-” he started before he was interrupted.

“You know that you can call me by my first name now, right?” Tokuchi said. Itsuki stood there for a second before grabbing Toku- no, Toa and yanking him back to kiss him again. He had honestly never thought that they would get to a first name basis.

Things were progressing nicely until a commotion on the TV made Toa pull away. Glancing over at the TV, he pulled a face. Before Itsuki could turn it off, Toa moved away from him, and sat down on the end of his bed to reluctantly watch the recap of the game.

“We can turn that off, you know,” Itsuki said, feeling the urgent need to get close to Toa again.

“Not in the mood anymore,” Toa said, glancing sourly over at him. Goddamit, he had gotten really close, too. Itsuki sighed and sat down next to Tokuchi to watch the rest of the game. 

“What do you think?” he asked, glancing over at Toa nervously. “Think we can beat them?” They would be playing them after they finished with the Bugaboos. If Toa had any insight, now was the time to hear it.

Tokuchi glanced back over at him before focusing his attention back on the TV. “I honestly don’t know,” he said. “They’re doing better now than when I left them. Kojima’s been teaching them well”.

“Do you even know how to beat them?” Itsuki asked. He didn’t expect Toa to tell him if he did, he just wanted to know.

“I have no idea how to beat them,” Tokuchi stated plainly. “I wasn’t thinking of playing against them when I was there, so I never thought of leaving them with a weakness”. Tokuchi sighed. “At this point, I don’t think we can beat them. They have all of my strengths, and none of my weaknesses. That combined with having Kojima as a coach leaves me wondering if they can be beaten as they are now”. That sent shiver of dread down Itsuki’s back. If Toa was being honest, and he believed he was, then the Lycaons were far more formidable than he had ever anticipated.

The next day, Itsuki zipped through his morning routine, hung out a bit with his teammates, and spent the afternoon going over strategies to deal with Johnson. So far, all of his ideas had been shot down. At this point, breaking legs was sounding pretty good.

Later that same day, Itsuki was seriously considering breaking at least one of Johnson’s legs. Not that it was just him giving them a hard time. It was the fault of at least a third of the batting lineup that the Bugaboos had managed to pull six points ahead of them by the bottom of the seventh inning. With just two innings left to go, they needed to haul some serious ass to keep up, otherwise Imawano would probably murder them. They barely had been able to go through a rotation before they had been struck out. It seemed as though Itsuki was the only one capable of scoring that evening, and it began to grate him. Looking over at the coaches, Itsuki could almost see the palpable tension rising from Imawano. That was never good.

After another disastrous rotation thanks to the Bugaboos, they had one inning left, and Itsuki meant to make it count. After Kitaooji had unceremoniously struck out, Itsuki found himself on the plate. When the pitcher wound up and pitched, Itsuki followed the ball closely, made a guess, and was immediately rewarded when it sailed over the outfielders and went into the home run zone. Maybe he really was getting his groove back after all. His scored point must have injected some life back into the team, as both Amami and Brooklyn were able to score points. Finally, they were down by only three points when a pitching change was announced. 

What Itsuki did not expect was for the more experienced relief pitcher to be replaced by a foreign rookie pitcher. He glanced over at Imawano, who seemed confused. Judging by the murmur that arose from the coaching staff, this rookie hadn’t pitched in a game yet this season. Some guy named Sandro Velasquez. No matter, Itsuki was on a roll, and he wouldn’t let some newbie knock him off his game. 

When Thomas struck out swinging, Itsuki thought it may have been a fluke. When Brooklyn struck out swinging, Itsuki began to get nervous. When Amami struck out swinging, Itsuki felt a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. They had lost. He had honestly thought that they would have been able to pull ahead. Disappointment soon set in. God knows they would get it that night from Imawano. Their loss would probably totally overshadow their win from the night before. On the way back to the hotel, the mood was somber. With that loss, the Lycaons had pulled ahead of them in the rankings. That was unprecedented, but not unexpected at this point. The way they were, they would be lucky to make it to the end of the season.

The next day, the bus ride back to the stadium in Chiba was totally silent. Usually a loss like that wouldn’t bring the team down so low. Toa was probably right. They had been doing damage to themselves. Probably to the point that a close loss like that was bringing the whole team down. They really needed to get past whatever was holding them back. Toa really needed to step up his game. After going their separate ways to prepare for the final game that evening, Itsuki decided to ask Amami to get some lunch with him. He really needed some guy talk. 

After they got to a local sandwich shop and ordered, they sat down. The silence grew heavier by the second. “So,” Itsuki began. “How do you think this’ll go tonight?” he asked, trying to ignore the dead look his teammate sent his way. 

“We’ll have to see,” Amami began. “This development with that Velasquez guy is troublesome. Did you see what he was doing?” Itsuki shook his head. He had been too caught up in trying to keep it together that he hadn’t thought of trying to analyze his pitches.

“He was throwing knuckleballs,” Amami continued. “The real deal”. Well crap. That was bad. Amami must have read the look on Itsuki’s face pretty accurately, as he sighed and went on. “It’s not like we can’t hit them though. Now that we know what he’s pitching, It’ll be easier to hit off of him. If anybody can do it, it’s one of us”. Itsuki nodded his head a bit at that. He wasn’t wrong.

“That’s not my main concern though,” Itsuki stated. When Amami blinked over at him in confusion, he continued. “If we’re having such a hard time with the Bugaboos, imagine how we’ll do against the Lycaons in a couple of days”.

“Oh,” Amami responded. “I’ve actually been looking forward to that”.

“Seriously?” Itsuki asked incredulously. “You think we’re ready for that? As a team? I thought we were getting better, but it seems as if we’re getting worse”.

Amami leaned back in his chair before he responded. “As a team? No, I don’t think we’re ready,” he said slowly. “But I think I am”.

Itsuki narrowed his eyes at him. “You can’t be serious,” he muttered. “Are you really thinking of going up against Kurai and winning? Have you seen his stats lately?”

“You and I both know that stats aren’t necessarily indicative of how someone will perform that day,” Amami said. “Besides, if it isn’t one of us, who will it be?”

“If he’s pitching the same way he has been lately, nobody,” Itsuki replied. 

“If you’re worried, that’s fine,” Amami said. “But this won’t be a deciding game for us. We’re allowed to have some fun with it”. With that, he changed the subject.

That night, their fans had come out in full force to cheer them on. Itsuki could hardly hear Coach Imawano speak from the dugout over the chanting. That made him feel better. It was always nice to feel the energy from the crown wash over him. They were starting on defense, and he was dutifully manning third base as always. That night, Johnson wouldn’t be his main concern. Instead, he would be focusing solely on Velasquez. Although, he didn’t see him in the dugout. He might not even play that night. That would be both a relief and a disappointment. 

Before he could ruminate any longer, the game started, and Tashiro threw his first pitch, striking out the first batter. He kept up the good work and struck out the two progressive betters, but only managed to get Johnson to foul the ball enough times to get out. Disappointing. He was hoping for something a bit more dramatic. The next few innings proceeded at a deadlock, with neither team scoring. Finally, at the top of the sixth, Thomas managed to get a lucky home run, and gained a point for the team. The general atmosphere on the bench improved after that, with the player all bracing themselves to earn more points and hopefully erase their shameful loss from the night before.

Over the next few innings, they racked up a few more points before a pitching change was announced at the bottom of the eighth. Velasquez would be coming out again. Itsuki looked over at Amami, who looked just about as excited as he ever did, but judging by the energy shift in the dugout, the entire clean-up crew were hyping themselves up to face this new opponent. After Kitaooji managed to hit far enough to get to first, followed by Thomas striking out, Itsuki found himself staring Velasquez down. He was going to hit tonight, no question about it. He let the first pitch go by to see if it had any weaknesses. He found none. No rotation, and a good sway. It would be nigh impossible to hit in this condition.

After the second pitch turned into a strike, Itsuki braced himself for massive success, only to bounce it off the end of his bat. The fact that he was a fast runner was the only thing that saved him from getting out. He wished he could have done better, but at least it was something. Thankfully, Amami also hit a low grounder, loading the bases. Itsuki could probably cut the tension in the air with a knife. It was all on Brooklyn now. Unfortunately, he struck out, getting Kitaooji out in the process. That double play would be hard to live down. 

Finally, Tomioka, somehow managed to do what they had not, and got Itsuki to home, with Amami getting tagged in the process, ending their offense. They had one more shot to win this, and they couldn’t waste it. Thankfully, the last half of the inning progressed nicely. It would appear as though Johnson was getting tired from running as much as he did the past few games. Itsuki had to smile to himself. They were finally seeing an end to this. When the top of the ninth rolled around, Itsuki let himself feel optimistic. They were up by a good number of points, and he was finally getting an eye for Velasquez's knuckleballs. He apparently couldn’t throw any other breaking balls. 

Thanks to him, Amami, and finally Brooklyn, The game was almost set. They just had to strike out three of the Bugaboos’s batters, and they would be the victors of the three game series. With this in mind, Coach Imawano sent Kawanaka out to end things quickly. With each progressive batter, the lineup was less and less formidable. Kawanaka’s forkballs were dipping lower than ever that evening. Apparently he had something to prove too. With that in mind, Kawanaka struck the last batter out swinging, earning a thunderous roar from the rest of the stadium. On the way back to the dugout, Itsuki saw the mood from the previous evening dissipate as the players allowed themselves to celebrate.

After the game, most of the team went to a local bar to decompress. Itsuki however satisfied he was that they had won, couldn’t bring himself to go. On the way out to the car, he nearly bumped into Toa, who seemed a bit distracted. 

“Where are you off to?” he asked almost hesitantly. He half hoped that Toa was at least a little impressed with his performance that evening.

“Looking for you, actually,” Toa responded, grabbing him by the arm. “You were good out there tonight. I thought there was something we could do.” 

“Oh really?” Itsuki asked, a little tired. He really didn’t know if he had it in him to celebrate.

Toa noticed Itsuki hanging back a bit. Impatient, he yanked him along. He had plans for him, and he wouldn’t be deterred. “Come on,” he said, yanking him along until they reached the now abandoned locker room. Before Itsuki could say anything, Toa slammed him into a locker, and rested his hands against the other man’s chest. He didn't even bother to lock the door. Nobody was around, and this was a long time overdue. Toa kissed Itsuki once before he began to sink to his knees, sliding his hands down his chest as he went, smiling up at him the entire time. Itsuki’s eyes got huge, but he didn’t say anything, only nodding his assent.

Toa undid Itsuki’s belt, and yanked his pants and underwear down around his hips. Toa admired the sight in front of him for a minute, ignoring the labored breathing from the man before him. This was one glorious piece of flesh. Half hard, he was just the right length, not too short, and not too long, with enough girth to make it impressive. Toa was positively delighted, and as an act of gratitude for this wonderful presentation, he put his lips over the head, just taking the tip into his mouth. 

Takami let out a short moan before burying his hands in Toa’s hair. Toa took a second to appreciate the sensation, then gently swirled his tongue around the head, briefly letting it dip into the slit. At this, Itsuki let out a short gasp, and yanked Toa back by his hair.  
That must have been a bit much for him to handle, then. Toa glanced up and met Itsuki’s eyes almost apologetically, and took a moment to appreciate the sight above him. Itsuki was flushed, with his mouth slightly open. 

He had only just begun and the other man was already looking worked over. He smiled up at Itsuki, and planted a kiss on the head of his cock before licking him from base to tip in one long stroke. That earned him another moan, louder this time. He moved his mouth over the head again, and took more into his mouth this time, sucking softly as he went. Takami must have approved, as he renewed his grip on Toa’s hair, and yanked him close, forcing his dick against the back of Toa’s throat, almost forcing him to gag. To show his displeasure, Toa let his teeth lightly touch the shaft, and that was enough to make Itsuki loosen his grip, letting Toa come off his dick. 

Toa grabbed Itsuki by the hips, and pinned him against the locker with renewed vigor, and took more of his cock into his mouth, sliding slowly down the shaft, taking it his own, slower pace. Once he felt the head getting close to the back of his throat, he bobbed his head a few times, running his fingernails across the other man’s hips to grab his ass.

As Toa pulled his head back off of his dick, leaving a slight trail of saliva, Takami couldn't help but murmur encouragement to Toa. 

“Oh god, Toa, you’re so good at this,” he said, barely above a whisper. “You were made for this, weren't you?”

Toa seemed to take the encouragement to heart, and took the tip of his dick into his mouth and started doing that thing with his tongue again. He would not last much longer like this. 

“Where did you learn to suck cock like this?” Itsuki asked, not expecting any response, but one came in the form of Toa grabbing his ass hard, digging his fingers into the muscle. He would probably bruise him at this pace, and the thought of that sent another little tingle down his spine. Looking down, he saw himself getting sloppy and wet with Toa’s saliva. Before he could say anything else, he felt a persistent building tension as he came closer to orgasm. Before he could come, he grabbed Toa by the hair, and tried to drag him off his dick before he could come in his mouth, but Toa seemed to have other plans, as he just let Takami rip at his hair while he bobbed his head up and down on him faster than before, drawing his orgasm out of him. Just as he came, Takami jerked his hips forward, slamming into Toa’s throat one last time before releasing into his warm mouth. 

After he pulled out, Toa sat there, a bit dazed for a moment, debating on whether to spit or swallow, before swallowing the warm fluid on an impulse. 

After a minute, the other man slid down the locker to sit beside him. Toa looked over at Itsuki before snorting. He had just given him a blow job in a public locker room with the door unlocked. That was pretty impulsive, even for him. Takami didn't seem to be having the same thoughts though, as he was just gazing into Toa’s eyes as if he was the only person on the planet. Before Toa could comment on what had just happened, Takami reached over and cupped Toa’s face in his hand before kissing him sweetly on the lips. Toa let himself be kissed for a moment, then opened his mouth and spat what was left of the semen into Takami’s mouth. Takami promptly made a face at Toa and wiped his mouth off on the back of his hand before wiping it on Toa’s face. 

“You’re disgusting,” Itsuki finally said weakly.

“Be that as it may, you can’t say you didn’t enjoy it,” Toa said wiping his mouth off.

“I wasn’t talking about, I mean when you-” Itsuki began before Toa cut him off.

“That really was impressive out there,” he said. “I’m impressed you managed to keep your cool that long. You were the only one that showed that level of self control for once”. That seemed to throw Itsuki for a loop, as the sat there doing his best impression of a fish before speaking.

“Is that what brought that on?” the other man asked, still a bit breathless.

“It was a contributing factor,” Toa stated. With that, he stood up, and offered Itsuki his hand; pulling him up when he grabbed it. “You should go home and rest,” he said. “You have a hard few days ahead of you”. He then walked out of the locker room, leaving Itsuki alone for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So let's just pretend I didn't get totally overwhelmed by school for like 5 months. Deal?


	15. Chapter Fifteen

The Mariners’ first game against the Lycaons was in less than an hour, and Toa could honestly say he was not excited. He wasn't the emotional type, but when he burned bridges and cut ties with others, he didn't usually plan on coming into contact with them again, especially when his emotions were involved. Emotions were often the source of his failures, although they were few and far between. Nevertheless, he would be coming into indirect contact with his old team, and thanks to the new confidence he instilled in them, they'd probably be much more ballsy than they had been. With a longing look out the window into the lot where he was parked, Toa headed down to the field where the other coaches and assistants had gathered. 

The Lycaons dugout was across the field a ways away, but he could still feel the gaze of his old team boring into him. While the teams warmed up, it became apparent to Toa that he would most likely be ignored in favor of antagonizing the Mariners. Sugadaira had already thumbed his nose at Brooklyn during batting practice by hitting several pitches that he knew Brooklyn struggled with. Before he could turn away to touch base with Imawano, he saw Ideguchi approaching the dugout. 

“Hey,” he began, speaking directly to Toa. “I know you probably don't care, but I wanted to let you know that we intend to crush you today. We won't hold back. We'll use everything we have to win. We’ve become stronger, and now we’re going to prove it to you”.

Toa gazed back at him with the best indifferent look he could muster. “I wouldn't expect anything less, Captain Ideguchi”, he said, using Ideguchi’s official title to emphasize the shift in their relationship. 

Ideguchi gave him a cold look before turning around and heading back to his own dugout. Imawano scoffed, muttered something about how players nowadays had no respect, and made another assistant take notes on the batting lineup practice they had just witnessed. Toa kept up his indifferent facade, pointedly not looking over at the players. They were probably waiting to see his reaction at being publicly called out. Not too long after, the lineup was announced, and the game began. 

As Ideguchi had promised, it was a massacre. Takahashi pitched well, most likely doing his best impression of Toa’s own “blank state of mind”. Kojima had obviously outdone himself with the outfielders, as they were handling Kawanaka and Kira just fine. The score wasn't too unequal until the fifth inning, when a pitching change was announced, bringing Kurai to the mound. 

Toa observed his pitches with the same cold indifference he had perfected during his time with the Lycaons, but it was becoming increasingly obvious to him that there was a blatant gap in ability that no fancy training would bridge. He struck out batter after batter, sinking the overall morale in the dugout, save for Amami, who was still as pumped up as ever about facing Kurai on the field. He had really created a monster with that one. 

At the top of the eighth, he spared a glance over the players in the dugout, eyes lingering slightly over Takami. He seemed more resigned than depressed. After he was struck out almost immediately by Kurai, he slipped out the door into the hallway behind the dugout. He turned to look back over the field, but Imawano caught his eye first. Imawano jerked his head in the direction Takami had gone, all but ordering Toa to go after him and bring him back. Toa barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes before he turned and walked out after him. 

It wasn't long before he found Takami slumped over on a bench, leaning forward with his head resting on his hands. 

“What's wrong with us?”, Takami asked quietly. “When did they surpass us this much? I thought it was just a teamwork issue, but they really are too good”. 

Toa looked straight ahead, refusing to look at Takami in his moment of weakness. That was a level of awkward that Toa was not interested in at the moment. 

“They've been working at it for a while now”, he began. “Teamwork still plays into it. While you guys were infighting, they were getting stronger. I definitely didn't slow them down in that regard”, he added as an afterthought. “You knew the first game would be like this”, he continued. “Once you get used to the way they play now, you might be able to catch up sooner or later”.

Takami heaved a sigh. “That's not too reassuring”, he said. “ This is the part where you say you have a miracle plan to bail us out and save the day”. 

Toa snorted at that. “I never really did that”, he muttered. “They did a lot of the work themselves. I just facilitated some growth”.

Takami stood up and started walking back in the direction of the dugout. “I didn't expect you to be the type that sells yourself short”, he said. “It would be nice if you could facilitate some growth in us right about now”. With that, he he walked back into the dugout with Toa following close behind him. 

After being served a crushing defeat by the Lycaons, Itsuki Takami was not in good spirits. His worst fears had been confirmed; the Lycaons really were stronger. Unlike the rest of his team however, he still did have some hope. The Lycaons’s tricks would only last for so long until everyone else caught on. Their batting lineup could eventually be caught up by tricks from their pitchers. And Kurai’s pitches would only be effective for so long. It wasn't like his pitches were anything special, other than the fact that they were pretty fast. Enough training on the pitching machines the team already had on the fastest setting would probably do the trick. Itsuki heaved a breath of relief. They would get through this in the end. 

The next day, Itsuki was in decidedly higher spirits than his teammates. They obviously hadn't thought the situation out like he had. Or maybe they had, and they were still intimidated. It didn't really matter, as it was becoming increasingly obvious that the game would be rained out that day. Amami was looking particularly sullen, most likely because he wouldn't have the chance to be humiliated by Kurai that day. Itsuki could understand having a rivalry with one particular pitcher; he just didn't want Amami’s rivalry to turn into an obsession. He knew how well that could turn out. 

Itsuki went through morning practice with ease, letting himself get swept away by his routines. After practice ended, he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. The game against the Lycaons had been confirmed to be cancelled. They had had their practice in the indoor practice arena, so he hadn't had a chance to peek outside yet that day. As he made his way outside, he could understand why the game was cancelled. It was absolutely pissing down rain.

After a long and treacherous car ride home, he stood in the middle of his living room not quite sure what to do with himself. He had held out some hope for the game that night, so he hadn't made any plans for dinner or entertainment. He didn't have any plans to cook up for their next game, and he had already finished all the books he had been planning on reading. Before he could start puttering around, his phone began to ring. He picked it up a bit too fast, and was rewarded with the voice he had been hoping for. 

“Hey” Tokuchi said, “You're coming over tonight”.

Itsuki was speechless for a moment. “I am?” he asked. 

“Yeah”, Toa said. “The game was cancelled, but you still probably didn't make any plans just in case”. Takami noted a brief pause. “Unless you have something better to do?” Toa finished, a smug edge to his voice. 

Itsuki was already putting his shoes on at that point. “You know I don't”, he said. “Just tell me where you live, and I'll be there”. 

True to his word, he got to Toa’s apartment building in record time. Looking over the exterior, he was surprised to note that it looked like it was the same kind of mid tier upper class type of apartment building that he lived in. Big windows, lots of stories. Glancing around, he didn't see Toa’s car. He had most likely parked underground. He headed inside and to the elevator. The doorman, because of course there was a doorman, didn't blink once at him. That was probably a good sign. 

Once he came to a stop at Tokuchi’s floor, he looked around, noting that there were five units on that floor, which was strange. He would think that Tokuchi would be the kind of guy to live in a penthouse apartment spanning an entire floor. He shrugged it off, and knocked on Tokuchi’s door. He didn't have to wait long before Tokuchi opened the door. At first glance, Itsuki was a little thrown. Tokuchi was wearing jeans and a green knit long sleeve shirt. He knew that Tokuchi probably dressed more casually around his home, but actually seeing him in something other than button up shirts and baseball jerseys was something new for him. 

“Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to come in?” Tokuchi asked. 

“Ah, sorry Tokuchi, I'm coming in”, Itsuki said, keeping himself from stuttering shamefully. 

After a second, Tokuchi glanced over at him. “I thought I told you that you could call me by my first name”. 

Itsuki nodded at him in response. He had to break that habit. 

After brushing past Toa to enter his apartment, Itsuki hesitated a bit. It was not at all what he was expecting. Instead of a spacious floor plan and chandeliers, he saw a small but still kind of trendy efficiency apartment. It still had high ceilings and huge windows, but the living room and kitchen were only divided by a small countertop. Other than that, there was only a half wall separating the bedroom from the rest of the apartment. It made sense in a sort of way for Itsuki. It was clean cut and expensive, but not overly excessive.

“So, what did you have in mind?” he asked turning to Toa. 

“We could watch a movie”, he suggested. 

That was probably a safe bet. That's what they had done when they hung out at Itsuki’s place on New Year’s Eve. But Itsuki didn't see a tv in the living room. Just a small sofa and chair set. 

“Back here”, Toa said, nodding his head in the direction of his bedroom. Itsuki had to stifle a smile at that. Toa was probably scheming again. He followed Toa into the section of the apartment partitioned off as a bedroom. He was once again mildly taken aback at the size. It was big enough just for one double bed shoved up against the window, and one nightstand built into the wall with a tv about five feet from the foot of the bed. Itsuki sat down on the side of the bed against the wall. He wasn't really scared of heights, but that didn't mean he was ready and willing to press himself up against the glass of a tenth story apartment. 

Toa took the side of the bed against the window and glanced over at Itsuki. “Well?” He asked, “What do you want to watch?”

Oh. That's right. Itsuki had completely forgotten about their apparent routine of picking a movie. Itsuki looked over the selection. It was sparser than his own.Toa had a pretty blended selection of both English and Japanese movies. “What about that one?” He asked, pointing to an English title.

“Sure”, Toa said. “I actually haven't had a chance to watch it yet. I've heard it's supposed to be good”. With that, He popped “The Blair Witch Project” into the VCR. 

About 45 minutes later, Itsuki was pressed against the headboard of Toa’s bed, doing his damn best to keep a straight face. It wasn't that the movie was scary. No, it was just ridiculously suspenseful. He wasn't a big fan of suspense. Not in a movie and not in real life. He risked a glance over at Toa, who looked as calm and collected as ever, relaxing against the headboard in such a way that his shoulder was barely brushing his own, but maintaining his own space. Itsuki raised an eyebrow at him, but of course he was just nonchalantly watching the movie. Itsuki huffed a bit, then scooted over so that he was pressed right up against Toa’s side, slinging his arm around Toa’s shoulders. Toa glanced up at him in what Itsuki hoped was mock irritation, then turned back to the screen. Itsuki would almost dare to say that Toa even relaxed a bit more against him. 

After the decidedly upsetting ending of the movie, Itsuki was ready and willing to admit that he was uncomfortable. For the past hour, he had been aware of Toa’s every breath, heartbeat, and shift in position. He had thought pulling him closer was a good power move, but Toa had somehow flipped his actions around on him, possibly without even realizing it. Just like usual. Glancing over at Toa’s bedside clock, he was a little surprised at how early it was. It was only a little before eight. He decided that he needed to act soon, but Toa had already begun to speak. 

“So what did you think? I actually liked it, and I'm usually not even a fan of horror movies. I thought-” Toa was set to go on, but Itsuki interrupted him first. 

“How long are we going to keep up pretenses?” He asked, looking over at Toa.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Toa had just wanted a quiet night in away from the coaching staff, away from the interns, and away from almost all of the players. He would have rather gone to Itsuki’s apartment and kept some air of mystery about where he lived, but it was raining pretty hard out, so that would have been inconvenient. Instead, he figured he and Itsuki would have a night in where they watched a movie that, yes, led to sex. What he didn't quite expect was for Itsuki to start to take on a more dominant role. He didn't object to it of course, but it wasn't what he expected, which rarely happened to him. 

He looked over and met Itsuki’s eyes. “Not for much longer, I guess”, he replied. He had barely finished speaking when Itsuki threaded his hands through Toa’s hair and pulled him close to kiss him. Toa responded almost immediately, opening his mouth slightly to deepen the kiss. Itsuki was already slowly running his hands slowly down his sides until he was dipping them under his waistband, then grabbed his ass. Hard. He might have bruises on his hips the next morning. Toa inhaled sharply, and grabbed Itsuki by the hair as an act of retaliation. 

Itsuki, however, didn't seem to mind the rough treatment. He managed to use his slightly broader frame to toss Toa over onto his back, and laid down on top of him, effectively pinning him, before getting back to kissing him. Toa was honestly a bit thrown. He had seen some of Itsuki’s competitive side the last time they had sex, but when all was said and done, he hadn't yanked him around this much. Before he could overthink things any further, Itsuki began talking.

“Is this okay?”, he asked, leaning off of Toa slightly to pull at his shirt. 

“Yeah.” Toa replied, a bit more breathless than he would have liked. In turn, with Toa’s help, Itsuki tugged his shirt off before Toa quickly divested him of his own. After their pants were long gone, Itsuki had Toa pinned once again underneath him, sitting on his stomach, holding his wrists above his head. 

“Just give up”, Itsuki said with a confident edge to his voice. “I pretty much have you pinned”.

Toa smiled up at Itsuki for a second. “You do?”, he asked pleasantly. “Glad to hear it”. Before Itsuki could respond, Toa shot his hands up, destabilizing Itsuki, then threw his hips to the side effectively flipping them in one smooth movement. Itsuki looked up at him wide-eyed for a few seconds. 

“I'm not going to lie”, Itsuki said lightly. “That was pretty hot”. 

“You think so?”, Toa asked lightly. 

“Little bit”, Itsuki said, trying to keep his voice steady. Toa was sitting on him in a very sensitive place. Itsuki placed his hands on his hips, squeezing gently before gripping them firmly and grinding Toa down onto his pelvis. Toa jerked suddenly, leaning forward to place a hand on Itsuki’s chest. Toa felt Itsuki squirm a bit underneath him, amused that Itsuki thought he could use him to get off first. 

This was all well and good, but Toa was getting impatient. He slid off Itsuki, then yanked him up into a sitting position. They sat there for a few seconds, both waiting for the other to make the first move. 

“So how do you want to do this?”, Itsuki finally asked. “Do you want to top, do you want me to top, or do you have something else in mind?”

Toa shifted a bit, leaning back onto his hands. “I'm either down to top or try something else”.

Itsuki cocked his head slightly at that. “So are you strictly a top or something?”, he asked. “It's fine if you are, I'm just wondering. I'm a switch myself”, he added lamely at the end. 

Toa blinked slowly at him. “I'm not necessarily a strict top”, he began. “I just haven't been with someone who wanted to top before. So I'm not really experienced in that regard”. Judging by the way Itsuki’s cheeks colored, Toa figured he was not expecting that. 

“Huh”, Itsuki said. “If you ever want to do anything about that, I'm game”.

Toa rolled his eyes at him, then shoved him back onto the bed, making him bounce slightly. He was done with talking. 

“Do you have a preference?” Toa asked, pressing himself up against Itsuki, getting a bit of friction, “Or do you want me to decide?”

Itsuki apparently couldn't hold back his moan that time. “God, just fuck me”, he finally managed to stutter out. 

“I can do that”, Toa stated. With that, he shoved himself off of Itsuki to go open the drawer of his bedside table, tossing him the lube as soon as he found it, then went back to find a condom. 

Once he turned around to face the other man, he hesitated briefly. Although he had already seen him prepare himself once before, he was still very affected by the sight. He doubted it would ever not be hot to watch somebody get themself ready for sex. Once Itsuki appeared to be done, Toa crawled back over, then placed his hands on Itsuki’s chest before kissing him. He actually liked the way Itsuki’s stubble felt on his face. He was used to kissing girls, but Itsuki was by far the most interesting person he had slept with. 

Itsuki laid back against the headboard, and looked at Toa expectantly. Toa moved over to him, getting into position. 

“You ready?”, he asked, lips barely grazing Itsuki’s.

“Goddammit Toa, yes”, Itsuki hissed. 

With that bit of encouragement, Toa slid into him slowly, just to give him time to adjust. He felt Itsuki moan into his shoulder where he had buried his face. After a couple of shallow thrusts, Toa began pumping a bit faster. Not fast enough apparently, as Itsuki grabbed his hips and dragged him closer. 

“When I said I wanted you to fuck me, I meant it”, Isuki hissed. 

Well then. With that encouragement, Toa bit back all of the comments he could have vocalized, and instead chose to pin Itsuki’s hands beside his head and start driving into him with renewed vigour. 

After about five minutes of absolutely fucking Isuki into the mattress, it seemed like neither man was going to last. Toa was coming dangerously close to the edge, and judging by the way Itsuki was moving beneath him, he wouldn't be lasting too long either. As Toa felt himself bearing the precipice, he reached down and started pumping Itsuki with long even strokes until he felt his body clench. Unlike last time however, Itsuki didn't claw up his back. Instead, Toa felt his teeth sink into his shoulder. 

The feeling of the sharp, sudden pain didn't take away from his orgasm, it actually seemed to enhance it. Toa had to bite back an embarrassing moan as he spent himself inside the other man. 

They both laid there for another minute, just catching their breath. Eventually, Toa pulled out, noting the soreness in his muscles. His stamina wasn't as good as it had been when he was actually playing. That was back when he was in the best shape of his life. Now, he was a little winded, and nursing a painful bite mark on his neck. While Itsuki tended to himself, Toa ran his fingers over it, pleased to note that he hadn't managed to break the skin. He probably would have a nasty bruise coming up pretty soon though. 

Itsuki was the first to break the silence. 

“Was it good for you too?”, he asked, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. “I think I need a cigarette after that”, he added. 

“It was decent”, Toa said. A vast understatement, but at this point, Itsuki should basically know what to expect from him. With that, he tossed an opened pack of cigarettes and a lighter at Itsuki, only one of which he managed to catch. 

After Itsuki lit his own cigarette, he got another one out and held it to his own, then passed it over to Toa. Toa took it gratefully, then took a drag, relaxing a bit more. They both sat in silence smoking for another few minutes until Toa broke the silence. 

“So how long until we can have sex without you mauling me?”, he asked, pressing again at the tender flesh. 

Instead of apologizing, Itsuki smiled smugly over at him. “When you can stop acting like an asshole”, he replied. 

“I guess I'll have one injury or another for awhile, then”, Toa replied, not missing a beat. 

The mood in the room was winding down. Toa was getting tired. His bedroom was warm. The rain was beating down hard against his large windows. He laid back against the headboard and looked over at Itsuki, who seemed to be studying him. 

“You don't have to go home just yet if you don't want to”, he said, no longer out of breath. “It looks pretty bad out there. It probably wouldn't be safe at this point.”

Itsuki blinked over at him, but didn't say anything for a few seconds. “That sounds good to me”, he Finally said. “Do you mind if I borrow your shower though? I didn't have time to take one when I got home”.

“Seriously?”, Toa asked. “You had sex with me without showering after practice?”

Itsuki snorted at that. “I took a shower right after practice”, he said. “I just hung out at the clubhouse for a little bit after that. But I think I still need to freshen up a little”. With that, he flashed Toa what he probably thought to be his winningest grin, then went around the corner to the bathroom. 

After Itsuki was out of sight, Toa leaned up against the headboard. Slowly but surely they were getting more comfortable in each other’s presence. He honestly didn't know how to feel about that. He wasn't terribly invested in the Mariners success at this point, but he still couldn't afford to lose his edge. Not if he intended to keep gambling after his current debacle ended. Which he did. He couldn't imagine doing anything else. 

Finally, after what seemed like forever, but was most likely ten minutes or so, Itsuki strolled back into his bedroom followed by a cloud of steam. He flopped back onto Toa’s bed, dripping a bit of water on his blanket from his still damp hair. With him looking at Toa that way though, he couldn't bring himself to be irritated. 

After a while of watching it rain with Itsuki, it showed no sign of stopping. Finally, he spoke. 

“You can spend the night If you like”, Toa said. “It’s probably not a great idea to drive in this weather”. 

“You did”, Itsuki stated. Noting Toa’s confused glance, he continued. “At the casino that one time. When the road was blocked off”.

“Oh yeah. That”, Toa stated as if he had forgotten. “That was different. There was no way I wanted to be trapped in a place like that”. 

“I would think that you'd love to be trapped in a casino”, Itsuki retorted. 

“Maybe”, Toa replied. “But not that one”. 

They were silent for a while longer before Itsuki spoke again. 

“Well, I don't know about you”, he said, looking over at Toa “But I'm exhausted. I'm probably going to turn in now”.

“You do that”, Toa replied. With that, Itsuki slid under the covers on the side away from the window. That was normally Toa’s side, but Itsuki probably wasn't used to sleeping against a window ten stories up, so he’d give him a pass just this once. After Itsuki looked like he was on the brink of sleep, Toa slid off the bed and put a new pair of underwear on. 

Good on Itsuki for being able to sleep naked, but Toa couldn’t stand it. Some of his partners had good naturedly given him shit for it in the past, but he wasn't able to look past his own comfort enough to care. He slipped out of the bedroom and into the small kitchen for a glass of water. As he drank, he looked out the window at the wet city streets below him. He really needed to watch himself from here on out. Itsuki Takami really could prove to be quite dangerous in the long run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm getting better at this whole smut writing deal.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

When Itsuki woke up, it took him a couple of seconds staring at an unfamiliar wall to remember where he was. When he began to wake up a bit more, he had to stop himself from jerking up in the bed. He had spent the night with Toa. Toa had allowed him to spend the night in his apartment. No alcohol had been involved. 

Before he could work out this strange predicament in his mind, he felt the bed’s other inhabitant shift a bit. Hesitantly, Itsuki decided to turn over to face him, not wanting him to think he was pretending to be asleep. Toa was resting his head on his arm, facing the window. Itsuki couldn't see his face, so he couldn't determine how groggy the other man was. He honestly couldn't say he minded the view. 

He liked watching Toa while they had sex, sure. But he also didn't mind the smooth plane of Toa’s back and shoulders. He was a little paler than the guys and girls he usually went for, but Itsuki couldn't say he was opposed to this development. Judging by the purple splotch on his shoulder, he probably bruised easily. That could be fun too. 

After a few seconds of admiring him, Itsuki got tired of staring at Toa, and began to nudge him gently with his foot. After the first couple of nudges, Toa seemed to come to, as he shifted a bit, then sat up, propped up on one hand, and rubbing at his eyes with the other. 

“What time is it?”, he asked, as casually as if they had done this a hundred times before. Toa was remarkably good at being cool and nonchalant in weird circumstances. 

Glancing over at the clock on the bedside table, Itsuki responded with “About 7:00. Is that too late for you?” he asked. 

“No, that's still pretty early”, Toa responded. “I don't have to go in until about ten. You have late practice today, don't you?”

“Yeah”, Itsuki said. “At around ten for me too”.

Toa scooted down to the end of the bed. “We have time to eat if you want. I need to shower first though”.

Itsuki’s heart just about skipped a beat. Toa wasn't kicking him out right away, which was shocking. Even more shocking, he was willing to feed him. He was just full of surprises. 

“Sure, that sounds good”, he said. Toa nodded, then headed over to the bathroom. After about a minute, Itsuki heard the shower turn on. Itsuki took it as an opportunity to snoop a bit. After dressing in last night’s thankfully comfortable and casual jeans and long sleeved t shirt, Itsuki wandered over to the living space partially partitioned off from the bedroom. 

It still looked pretty small, but all the space was being utilized well. The furniture was sleek, with steel frames and soft looking blue cushions. There were big windows running the length of the living room on the wall it shared with the bedroom. Itsuki could appreciate the view, but he preferred his windows to start at least as high as his waist. None of this floor to ceiling business. 

Peeking over the small countertop into the kitchen, Itsuki could see that Toa had stainless steel appliances. They were a bit smaller than what he was accustomed to though. After a few minutes of looking around and trying to restrain him from opening any drawers or snooping in the closet, he heard the shower turn off. He decided that Toa might not appreciate him poking around his apartment, so he chose to sit in the armchair next to the small sofa. 

Another couple of minutes later, Toa came out of his bedroom dressed in the same tight jeans as the other night, but in a different shirt. Red this time. Itsuki was usually a sucker for blondes in blue, but Toa might honestly change his preferences if he kept wearing that shade. 

Toa brushed past Itsuki and started rummaging around in the small refrigerator. “I need to go grocery shopping, so don't expect too much”, he said getting a couple of packages out. 

“It's fine”, Itsuki said. “I appreciate you feeding me”. With that, he sat down at one of the two bar stools pushed up to the countertop. 

Toa nodded his head in acknowledgement, then turned on the coffee maker. 

As he watched Toa get a frying pan out, he began to relax. This was nice. His first thought was that Toa was probably just doing this to be nice, but the more logical part of his brain told him that Toa did whatever he wanted, and he probably hadn't ever done anything just for the sake of being nice. Still, it was a welcome gesture. Seeing Toa cook really humanized him. 

After about fifteen minutes or so, Toa set a plate and a steaming mug of coffee in front of Itsuki. “Feel free to serve yourself”, he said, putting his own already full plate down in front of the unoccupied bar stool. Itsuki stood up, grabbed the plate, and headed over to see what Toa made. He wasn't disappointed. He had made what looked like fried pork, warmed up miso soup, and white rice. 

“There are eggs in the fridge if that's how you take your rice”, he said, already eating. 

“Thanks”, Itsuki said, opening the door, locating the carton, and grabbing one. “Do you happen to have any creamer?” he asked. 

“For what?”, Toa responded. 

Itsuki gave him a flat look. “For the coffee?”, he said, raising an eyebrow at him. 

“Oh, I'm sorry”, Toa said. 

“What for?”, Itsuki asked. “Are you out?”

“No”, Toa said. “I just didn't realize you were a teenage girl”. 

“Seriously?” Itsuki asked. “I've seen you drink coffee with cream”.

“I have no idea what you’re referring to”, Toa said, sipping his black coffee. 

“I can name several-”, Itsuki sighed, cutting himself off. “Whatever”, he said. “Thanks for the food”.

“You’re welcome”, Toa said, voice a bit too smug for Itsuki’s taste. 

 

After they had finished eating, they sat there, drinking the last of the coffee. “The last game against the Lycaons is tonight”, Itsuki stated. 

“Yeah, it is”, Toa said. “Kojima announced the players for today. Kurai isn't one of them”.

“I feel bad for Amami”, Itsuki replied with an edge of mirth. 

“I'm sure he’ll survive”, Toa said. “There will be plenty of other games for him to be struck out at”.

“So you really think he's unhittable right now?” Itsuki asked. 

“Not necessarily”, Toa replied. “But you two are going to have to work pretty hard to get to where he is now”.

“It's down to Amami and I now, huh”, Itsuki mumbled. “We’ll see how that works out”.

“It’s pretty much always you and Amami”, Toa said, looking out the window. “Although you're really the go-getter in this operation”.

“You think so?” Itsuki asked, honestly feeling a bit flattered.

“Yeah”, Toa said. “I'm not flattering you. I'm being honest. I don't know exactly how you did it, but you figured me out and somehow taught what you knew to the rest of the team. It's more than a little impressive”.

“Trust me Toa”, Itsuki started “I haven't even begun to figure you out”.

Toa rolled his eyes at that, then glanced at the clock. “You’d better get going”, he said. “You probably have to run by your place to get ready for practice”. 

Itsuki sighed, then got up,put his dishes in the sink, then grabbed his jacket. After he'd made sure he wasn't forgetting anything, he opened the door, stepping out into the hallway. “I'll see you tonight, then”.

“Sure”, Toa agreed, then shut the door behind him. Shaking his head, Itsuki got on the elevator and pushed the button for the ground floor. He was getting some mixed signals, but since it was Toa, he didn't know what else to expect


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Toa was feeling better about the game that night. The atmosphere of the team had started off as it had the previous game, but it was steadily becoming lighter. Mostly thanks to Itsuki Takami. Toa had heard that the man had shown up like a bright ray of sunshine in the clubhouse, ready to raise the other players’ spirits as well. Toa could guess where that positive attitude was coming from. 

Other people on the team had most likely caught on to the source of Itsuki’s positive energy, but it seemed to be so contagious that he wasn't receiving as much ribbing as he would otherwise. Imawano had glanced at him suspiciously earlier, but when he met Toa’s blank gaze, he had shaken his head, and quickly moved on. That was preferable. Technically, members of staff were supposed to report relationships going on outside of work, but since he and Itsuki definitely were not dating, there really wasn't any need to. 

Just before the game began, Toa could hear Itsuki continue to talk the team up. With them in higher spirits and Kurai off the mound, they might just win this thing. 

The game started out slowly, with Takahashi doing pretty well as the starting pitcher. He and Kira fought it out, neither one giving up a point until the fourth inning, when Amami finally scored a lucky home run, and earned himself an RBI. The mood of the dugout had finally broken through to a more positive light. Itsuki was the first one up and cheering, Thomas and Kira following closely. Toa noted that to himself. Amami had finally won over another member of the Brooklyn group. 

After that lucky home run, Toa observed one of the best comeback games he had seen that season. The team was finally working as a decently functioning unit, and all he had to do was take note of what made that positive energy tick and figure how to make use of it in the future. The batting he could help with if Imawano let him. He could usually read Takahashi pretty well. The positive energy on the other hand, would be a bit of a difficult fix. 

Itsuki definitely sparked that energy, most likely spurred on by the events of the night before. Admittedly, Toa was in higher spirits as well, but he doubted he could ever have such a profound effect on the team. Maybe that was how Itsuki had managed to teach his team how to beat him in the beginning. He was definitely a shining beacon of what a call to action looked like. The players in the dugout were looking pretty vicious at that point. They had basically tasted blood with that hit. 

After that lucky home run, the batting lineup managed to score five more hits before Takahashi was switched out, leading the pitcher to slump over in disappointment in the dugout. Toa could almost feel sorry for the man. He had gotten along with him pretty well towards the end. Not that that mattered. When he cut ties, he cut them well. No point in lingering over old relationships. 

By the seventh inning, the Lycaons had managed to score a few points off of Mizuhashi, but the Mariners still defended their three point lead until the end, breaking the Lycaons winning streak. The Mariners were probably a bit happier than they should have been, given that about one year ago they had been mocking them, calling them nobodies. But he would rather they over celebrate and get along than mope over the lost points. 

He could tell that the mood in the Lycaons’ dugout across the field had dropped, but judging by the determined looks thrown his way, the real fight hadn't even begun. Toa turned away from the field, following the rest of the players and coaches. He didn't mind the more jovial atmosphere. It was one of the things he appreciated about the Lycaons at the end when they were winning. They knew how to celebrate. And so did the Mariners apparently. 

Toa declined several offers from lower ranking members of the staff to go drinking away from the players. He had tolerated them while he was a player himself, but it wasn't necessary attending as a staff member. It didn't interest him to hear about them brag about the everyday mundane tasks they had completed, or whatever was going on between them and their wives. A night at a pachinko parlour would be a better bet. Or maybe even one of the shadiest underground casinos he had found.

Toa decided to go to one of the flashier pachinko parlours he knew of. Maybe some reporter would find him again and ask him to make some incendiary statement. Toa was always fond of those. He would have thought that interest in him would have died down after he quit, but apparently the story of a star player who quit his team and immediately joined another team as a sort of assistant coach was considered to be a juicy one. Toa could appreciate what the news could do for him, but at that moment, he couldn't think of any way to use them to his advantage. 

Later that night, Toa was a few thousand yen richer. It wasn't much, but he hadn't gone to that particular parlour to win money. He had heard that it was one of the most rigged places in the area, so he thought he might scope it out and see if it would be a good challenge for him. Judging by the success or lack thereof of those around him, it was indeed rigged. He had been able to see through the parlour’s failsafe against people like him, and made off with more than the others who had managed to win. 

On that note, he had figured out a few strategies that the Mariners could use in their upcoming games. Whether or not Imawano would reject them like the others on the basis of them being ‘technically against the rules’, ‘unethical’, or ‘overall amoral’. Toa didn’t buy that for a minute. If Imawano really wanted them to win, he needed to crack a few eggs. 

The next morning, he made sure to get there around 10:00. When he had first started, the coaching staff had insisted that he be there at the crack of dawn, but a couple of months after that, they realized that if he came in later, they had to spend less time with him. That was a mutually beneficial relationship Toa could get behind. That aside, he still did have to show up for coaches meetings. Not the important ones, of course; they still didn’t trust him one bit.

Toa showed up to the offices uncharacteristically early, hoping to catch Imawano when he wasn’t surrounded by his team of morality police. He headed to the nicer offices used for more important meetings, figuring Imawano would be skulking around there somewhere. As he neared the bigger one with the leather and oak chairs, he heard what he thought was a small group of men talking in low voices. Toa was not a snoop by nature, but sometimes the urge to eavesdrop overcame him.

Finding the hallway empty and the door cracked, he stood to the side, partially out of the line of sight of those inside. He recognized the voices of Imawano and the owner-- Tsutsumishida. That man had been avoiding him since he was hired. He probably still had hard feelings towards Toa after all the bullying. Toa could understand that. The rest of the voices were a mystery to him.

“This is ridiculous”, he heard Imawano practically shouted. So much for speaking quietly.

“I’m afraid the arrangements have already been made”, an unrecognizable voice said. “Just be glad it’s only one player”.

“I’ll never be satisfied with this”, Imawano countered. “He’s part of the backbone of this team and you know it. This is retaliation, pure and simple”.

Toa arched an eyebrow. He had definitely walked in on something important. Whether or not it was relevant to anything he was up to remained to be seen.

“You could have picked anybody else but Takami. I get that we can’t afford all these players, I really do; but you know Kojima would be happy with any of them. Why trade Takami?” Imawano asked, apparently now trying to reason with the other men.

Toa froze in place, taking a second to absorb the information. The team was hard up on money due to all the star players they had accumulated, Toa knew this. The team was doing a trade with a Kojima, most likely they Lycaons’ current owner Kojima. They needed to do a trade with Kojima, probably for that money they needed. And Takami had been picked.

Toa felt a tick of irritation with the situation. He hadn’t signed up for this shit. He had to turn this team around, and he had precious few people on his side willing to do what it took to win; that way involving following Toa’s instructions and suggestions. He needed Takami on his side for that. He was basically the only source of morale for the team at that point. He was the heart of the batting lineup, and without him, the team would likely go into complete anarchy. After all, if Takami could be traded for cash, who would be up next?

That wouldn’t do. He needed to think of something, and fast. Once these decisions were made, they were made fast. He knew that from personal experience. He started filing through a mental list of possibilities. He could probably get Imawano involved somehow if he was so invested in Takami that we would be willing to speak up against the team’s owner and what were likely a few members of the board of directors. 

He could get Takami to cooperate, but that would be a last resort. The less he knew about this, the better. If he caught word of this, he would probably get all freaked out, and freak everyone else out in turn. That definitely wasn’t an option. Unfortunately, Tsutsumishida wasn’t a terribly greedy man, so it was unlikely that he would be able to bait him into a match involving the fate of the trade. 

Previous plans forgotten, Toa went into the coaches’ lounge to use their vastly superior computers and data files to figure out a solution. As the day went by, he ignored offers and veiled demands from the other assistant coaches to go out to the field and watch the team practice. He had far better things to do with his time. After a while, he heard footsteps approaching him from behind. Toa didn’t bother to look. He had a lot of work to do, and not enough time to do it.

“I know what you’re trying to do”, he heard Imawano say behind him. He stopped typing for a brief moment, trying to gauge the situation. Before he could do or say anything Imawano continued. “For once, I think we’re on the same side”, he said gruffly, sitting down in the chair beside Toa’s. Looking over, Toa could see that he was visibly angry.

“I don’t like you. You know that”, Imawano continued. “But if you pull this off, you’ll have proved to me that you’re actually invested in this”. Imawano sighed heavily before speaking again. “I’m not an unreasonable man, you know. I know when I’m beat”. Toa narrowed his eyes a bit, wondering where he was going with this.

“If you manage to pull this off, I still won’t like you. I never will. But If you do this, you’ll earn my trust, and I’ll work with you to win this championship”, he said, leaning back against the chair. “You’ve shown to be a decent strategist, and you know how to use that to win. Just make this work”, he said, getting up. “Let me know how it goes”, he muttered, then walked out of the room.

Toa sat still for a minute, still looking at his half-typed search term. Imawano had put his dignity aside and asked him for help. He hadn’t asked him how he found out, or what he intended to do, but he had still come to him. Maybe there was hope for him yet. But not if Toa couldn’t figure this mess out. Toa leaned forward and rested his head in his hands; he had a lot of work to do and not much time.

It was about midnight when Toa’s deliberation had come to a close. He had investigated every resource at his disposal. People, sources, and data did nothing. There was nothing. He had none of the assets he had access to while on the Lycaons. There were no upper level managers to wring information out of, no players he could scapegoat, and no colleagues on his side. He really only had one option left.

He would have to go begging to Kojima. He felt queasy even thinking about it. He had cut those ties, and had no intention of looking back, not even for a minute. But knowing Kojima, he would at least listen to what Toa had to say. The situation was the exact opposite of ideal, and it pained him greatly to admit, but Toa had probably found his one option.

Like he had guessed, Kojima had picked up on the first ring when he had called. True to form, he agreed to meet Toa about halfway between Saitama and Chiba. It wouldn’t benefit either of them to be found cavorting with the other. The next day, Toa felt his heart in his throat the entire drive over. This was going to be the most distasteful thing he would ever have to do.

Toa got to the meeting place first. It was a nondescript one story building that rented out meeting places short term. It was out of the way, and the company renting it prided itself on being discrete. It was basically a love hotel for business meetings. Toa hated it already.

Not too long after, he heard the door behind him open. Kojima had arrived. He walked around Toa and took a seat beside him, a little too close for Toa’s taste. Kojima looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to make the first move. Toa swallowed his dignity then started speaking.

“I know about the trade”, he stated, figuring he would lay his cards out on the table now. Honesty had worked well with Kojima in the past.

“And?” Kojima asked coldly. “Did you call me here to thank me? Did you want to gloat? I know I’m getting him away from you, but for once in your life, can you think of someone other than yourself?” Kojima asked, scowling at Toa. “This benefits both teams, you know. We get a decent batter to replace me, and the Mariners get their money. It’s mutually beneficial, so I honestly have no idea what you want”.

Toa kept his cool though. He looked at Kojima straight on. “Take someone else”, he said, keeping his voice steady.

Kojima looked at him blankly for a second. “What?” he asked, looking confused.

“Take someone else”, Toa reiterated, feeling his heart rate raise a little. He was usually better than this. He shouldn’t be slipping now of all times. “Amami, Kitaooji, Brooklyn, take your pick”, Toa said. “But leave Takami”.

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this”, Kojima muttered, looking even more confused. “I thought you hated the guy. He was out to get you all last season, and then he basically kidnapped you to drag you over to the Mariners. Now you’re telling me to take any other player, star players included, just to keep that guy around? What the hell is going on?”, Kojima asked, anger fading from his voice.

“It doesn’t matter”, Toa responded, still a blank slate.

Kojima sat silently for a few minutes just staring at his hands. Toa let him. He needed to think this over.

“You’ve become attached, haven’t you?”, Kojima asked.

“What, no” Toa respond quickly. He was genuinely surprised, breaking his calm facade for a moment. “That’s untrue, and completely irrelevant to the trade”, he finished, already regretting the meeting.

Kojima looked at him, all traces of anger and annoyance gone. “I never would have guessed it”, he mused. “I’m honestly happy for you”.

For once, Toa was stunned into silence.

“What you said last year, about not forming bonds, that worried me”, Kojima said, ignoring Toa’s silence. “I had hoped that you would find connections and friendships with the others on the team, but that didn’t really happen”, Kojima said as he looked at Toa softly. Toa decided right then that he hated Kojima.

“I was worried that you would go through life cold and isolated. I was worried that I had done something wrong, dragging you away from Okinawa, that all that going from gambling to being in the spotlight had somehow ruined your life”, Kojima continued.

Toa opened his mouth to destroy any ideas Kojima had but Kojima cut him off before he could speak.

“I owe you a lot, you know”, Kojima said with an air of finality. “If this will make you happy, I’ll do it”.

He looked Toa right in the eyes. Toa had never felt more uncomfortable or more vulnerable in his life. He hated this, and he hated Kojima. 

“Will this make you happy?”, he asked, looking just the slightest bit hopeful.

Toa considered his options. Go off on Kojima and completely obliterate any hope of completing this stupid arrangement with Takami, or lie through his teeth, humiliate himself, and keep Takami around. It was a hard choice, but he hadn’t come here to be humiliated and walk away empty handed.

“Yes”, Toa finally said, pleased to note that he had purged every bit of bitterness from his voice.

“Alright then”, Kojima said, standing up. “That settles it. Give me a little bit to settle things on my end, and I’ll call Owner Tsutsumishida”. 

With that being said, he walked out of the room, leaving Toa sitting alone and livid. It was a good thing he had been able to keep Takami around. He would be beneficial when it came to crushing the Lycaons. Satisfied that every last feeling of nostalgia surrounding the team was crushed, Toa stood up and walked out of the building. As he drove back, he waited for the call from Imawano; the real games were about to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You thought I'd forgotten about the plot, didn't you?


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Toa didn't get his call until the next day. He woke up early to the ring of his phone, and upon answering it, he heard Imawano, sounding almost happy to talk to him. Almost.

“You came though”, Imawano said. “You made good on your end of the bargain, now I'll make good on mine. You’ll meet with me and a few of the other coaches in one hour”. With that he hung up. 

Toa glanced at his clock on the bedside table. It was looking like he was saying goodbye to his late starts after this. He hoped it would be worth it. He huffed, then slid out of bed, glancing out of his large windows. The sun wasn't even up yet. Disgusting. 

At the stadium, Toa walked into the meeting room a whole five minutes early, which was just about the biggest sign of respect Imawano could ever hope for. Speaking of Imawano, he and the base coaches plus one pitching coach were already there. That was more than Toa was expecting, but he wouldn't complain. 

“So, what’s the plan”, the third base coach asked. 

Toa smiled back at them, noting how that unsettled a couple of the men. He was about to have some fun. He was looking forward to it; he hadn’t had some decent competition in a while.

\---------

Later, they all emerged from the room, having gone over the details of several plans Toa had presented them with. For a few of the morally ambiguous ones, they had forced him to justify his methods, but most had come around in the end. There were a couple of holdouts-- there always were, but eventually when presented with results, they would either come around too, or shut up. Hopefully this would be the end of them getting in his way. No more proposing trust falls and kumbayas, thank god.

Since they didn’t have a game that night, and Toa accomplished what he came do to, he decided to take some of his work home and deal with it in the comfort of his own home. Once he was comfortable sitting at one of the barstools facing the kitchen, he started going over his old proposals, rewriting them while completely disregarding the red ink and comments in the margins. As Imawano had said, he held up his end of the bargain, now it was their turn to deliver. 

After a couple of hours of writing, Toa decided he was done for the day. He went into his bedroom and flipped the tv on before lying on his stomach on the bed. The trade should be announced soon, and Toa was honestly curious to see who had been picked in Takami’s stead. He honestly didn’t care who they sent, but he had to admit, he had his preferences. He switched to one of the sports channels, and waited.   
He wouldn’t mind seeing Brooklyn go; he was obnoxious and picked a few too many fights. Thomas was in the same boat as Brooklyn. Toa hadn’t forgotten that punch to the face. Amami he wouldn’t mind staying. Kitaooji too. The rest of the lineup he really had no opinion on. They hadn’t really made an impression on him, other than being totally useless the past season.

Before he could contemplate the Mariners batting lineup any more, he saw the breaking news icon flash over the screen. It must be time then. He mostly zoned out while the reporters went over what was happening, and why a trade was occuring. He knew the whats, wheres, and whys, he just wanted them to move it along and get to the whos of the situation. He didn’t need to wait long, as Kitaooji’s face filled up the screen. Toa honestly felt a little disappointed. Not enough to feel any real emotion there; but he had to admit, with his batting style, he would have given Toa a lot to work with.

Maybe that’s why Kojima had chosen him. It didn’t really matter, though. Toa had gotten what he had wanted, even if it had been at a great personal cost to himself. Curiosity sated, he turned the tv off and sat up, unsure of what to do. He was still a little too shaken from yesterday to go gambling anywhere fun; somebody good might be there and take advantage of his slightly less than average state of wellbeing. He would be damned if he let that happen. Toa sighed and flipped the tv back on. Might as well see if there was anything else going on that he should know about.

On the other side of town, Takami Itsuki was getting a little nervous. Team practice was almost over,and the coaches were getting more antsy. He had noticed that most of the coaching staff had been restless, but it was beginning to concern him. Imawano had called Kitaooji away earlier, and he hadn’t yet returned. That was strange in and of itself, but Imawano didn’t return either.

Itsuki did his best to push his racing thoughts out of his head. Sometimes he thought way too much and way too fast. He wouldn’t mind being able to turn his mind off and hit some pitches for a while without overthinking things. He pushed the intruding feelings of nervousness out of his head, and did his best to center his focus. It must have worked, because it didn’t feel like too long before the field was being cleared.

Itsuki stretched his shoulders a bit, then went to follow the rest of the players inside, but was stopped by an assistant coach calling his name.

“Coach Imawano wants to see you”, the other man shouted.

Itsuki sighed, wondering what was going on. Usually when Imawano talked to players, he would do it publicly. If he was requesting a private meeting, it was either really big or really bad news. Itsuki didn’t really want to find out either way, but he couldn’t exactly just wave him off. Coach Imawano would have Itsuki’s hide for that.

Itsuki knocked on Coach Imawano’s door, entering when he hearn its inhabitant give the affirmative. Once he entered, he saw him looking a bit better than he had the past few days, but he still looked tired.

“You wanted to see me?” he asked hesitantly. Usually things were pretty open between the two of them; they had always gotten along.

“There are a few things I need to get you up to date on before word gets out”, Coach Imawano said gruffly.

Itsuki almost winced. Coach Imawano saved that tone for when he was trying to put up a wall. That was never a good sign. He waited for a response from him, but he was unsure of what to say. Figuring he wasn’t going to get a response, Imawano continued.

“You probably don’t know about the trade yet”, he said, maintaining eye contact. “Usually, I wouldn’t approach this subject given the situation, but due to special circumstances I figured that I could make an exception, on the condition that you don’t discuss it outside of this office”.

Itsuki was trying not to panic. Coach Imawano had pulled him unexpectedly into his office, mentioned a trade Itsuki knew nothing about, and was swearing him to secrecy. It didn’t bode well, and Itsuki definitely didn’t want to hear what Imawano was telling him. He was either going to be traded, or he was going to hear something he shouldn’t.   
“I won’t tell anybody”, he said, keeping a straight face and a steady voice. 

“Good, then”, Imawano said. “I’m only telling you this out of good faith. I figured that knowing the people you cavort with, you would find out anyway. I would just prefer you hear it from me”. 

Itsuki nodded, feeling his mouth getting dry. He wished that Coach Imawano would stop beating around the bush and get to it already.

“Owner Tsutsumishida and the board of directors deemed it necessary to do a trade for reasons you don’t need to know”, Imawano said, keeping a straight face. “You were initially chosen, but I was opposed to it”. Imawano gave him a few seconds to absorb the information.

Itsuki felt his heart jolt. He had been chosen. He felt anger well up on him, but stopped when he realized Imawano’s word choice. He had said initially.

Satisfied that Itsuki wasn’t going to have an outburst, Imawano continued. “But as you’ve probably guessed by now, another candidate was chosen. Instead of you, Kitaooji will be going to the Lycaons. Thanks to the efforts of some of the coaching staff, you’ll be remaining here for the foreseeable future”.

Itsuki didn’t know what to say. Kitaooji would be leaving to go to the Lycaons, and he was staying. He would have been sent to the Lycaons. But apparently the coaching staff had somehow intervened. Itsuki bowed to Coach Imawano, a bit less deeply than usual.

“Thank you for telling me”, he said, meaning it. “I appreciate that you thought of me”. With that, Imawano nodded at him, probably giving him permission to leave. Itsuki did so, careful to close the door softly.

As he walked outside towards where he had parked, Itsuki could feel his brain going into overdrive. He was going to be traded, but it was changed at the last minute. From what he knew, once those decisions were made, they were set in stone. Who on the coaching staff had managed to help finangle his way out of the trade? Imawano hadn’t managed to stop it on his own, so how had some lower level coach accomplished it?

Itsuki stopped dead in his tracks when he remembered something. He could remember an example of a last minute trade change from the last season. He had always wondered if Toa had a hand in that. Now he knew. He probably had the means through his wealth of tricks and weirdly in-depth knowledge about everything; and he probably had the opportunity from whatever lingering connections he had to the Lycaons or their sponsors, but Itsuki was stuck on his motive.

Sure, he most likely saw Itsuki as an asset, but he probably saw Kitaooji as an asset too; why get rid of him instead? Was it related to their bet? It was unlikely; he was probably looking for any way out of it he could find. Getting rid of him would definitely beneficial in that regard. Itsuki thought over the third option with apprehension. Maybe Toa liked him a little? As a friend or lover maybe? Itsuki had to bite down a laugh at that. He was a convenient ally who could keep up with him and amuse him; he had said so on several occasions. But was that enough to go through all the trouble of interfering successfully in a major trade? He would have to ponder that. 

Itsuki definitely wouldn’t question Toa about that though. Not yet. Even if he did go after him for answers, he probably wouldn’t get anything out of Toa anyway. Instead, he decided to pretend the whole thing had never happened, and headed home. He could tell some of his teammates who had taken longer to get ready were curious about his encounter with Coach Imawano, but he didn’t let anything slip. He’d rather they think that he was being disciplined than know what was going through his mind at that moment.


	20. Chapter Twenty

Itsuki didn’t hear from Toa for the next few days. He figured that it had something to do with all the obvious scheming he had been doing. He was much more active, and from what he had heard, he had all but abandoned the tiny coat closet that had served as his office. Instead, he was rumored to be in the coaches’ lounge, using their resources and holding meetings regularly. Itsuki wasn’t bothered by it or anything.

It wasn’t like he expected Toa to abandon all of his responsibilities to hang out with him, after all. Besides, he had his own work to do. Their game against the Fingers was coming up, and he needed to go over their tapes from that season, and practice accordingly. It wouldn’t do for him to start slacking off just as soon as Toa started getting useful.

It went like that for some time. Itsuki would see Toa in passing every once in a while, and occasionally he would return Itsuki’s nod of acknowledgement. That probably made them best friends at that point. Itsuki didn’t have any time to dwell on that however, as he was too busy getting ready to face the FIngers’ new battery lineup. After losing a couple of their star players the previous season, they had done well in promoting players from their minor league team in addition to recruiting some younger talent.

They were basically a completely different team than they had been. With Kawanaka, Amami, and Kitaooji, gone, they had lost the framework of their old team. That was just as well, because they had been winning, and winning big. They had absolutely destroyed the Blue Mars during their last three-game series, and the Bugaboos hadn’t fared much better. Coach Shirooka hadn’t been doing badly for himself.

On the day of the game after finishing practice, Itsuki headed into the meeting room with the rest of the first-string players. Coach Imawano would most likely give them the usual pre-game rundown. He walked by Amami and Kawanaka, who were still a little quiet after the loss of Kitaooji. For everyone else, it was a little jarring, but nobody was terribly surprised. It wasn’t like they thought that this team could sustain this many star players for too long.

Once they reached the meeting room, Itsuki realized that it wouldn’t be their usual pre-game rundown. Toa was standing there by Coach Imawano and Assistant Coach Takahashi, who was in the process of propping up what looked like a board covered in a sheet on a stand in front of the room. Toa and Coach Imawano were observing without lifting a finger to help. Toa must have jumped up a few places in the totem pole.

Once everyone was seated, Coach Imawano moved away from Toa, and stood in front of the mysterious object.

“You all know the rundown”, he said, looking over the room. “We’re going up against the Fingers, and you’ve all seen the videos. Watch out for their pitchers, Saito, Kim, and Ito. Their second and third basemen, Furiyama and Mori. Saito throws mostly fastballs with some curveballs. Kim can throw changeups and screwballs. Keep that in mind out there today. Disregard Shirooka for now”, he said without a break, like he wanted to get it over with fast.

“Anyway, we have something new”, he said, now with palpable dread in his voice. “This isn’t something that I would typically use or condone, but given the circumstances, this has been deemed necessary”.

Coach Imawano moved off to the side, and Toa replaced him in front of them.

“So, I think some of you have noticed that I’ve been taking more of an active role in the coaching staff lately”, Toa said smoothly. “I’ve been asked to determine new methods for the team to expand on its methods for facilitating teamwork and communication”. 

Itsuki was beginning to feel uneasy. He was closer to Toa now, but he still couldn’t get past the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. Glancing around, gauging from the looks on the others’ faces, he wasn’t the only one. He could already tell that he wouldn’t like what was coming next.

Toa nodded at Assistant Coach Takahashi, either not noticing the feel of unease in the room, or more likely, not caring. Takahashi pulled the sheet off the board, revealing what looked like a large grid chart with their named written up a column on the left hand side.

“As I’ve pointed out many times in the past, you all have issues communicating and acting like a team”, Toa said, ignoring the perturbed looks from those facing him. “From now on, the coaching staff will keep track of all offenses on this chart starting today. With each offense, you will receive a red or yellow mark depending on the severity of the offense”, Toa said. Itsuki heard someone pipe up in an attempt to interrupt him, but Toa kept going, talking over him.

“Those determining whether or not an offence or misdemeanor took place will be the coaching staff, of course, me included”, Toa kept talking, but was quickly drowned out by Brooklyn slamming his hands down on the table in front of him as he stood up.

“You expect us to go along with this, then?” he asked, raising his voice until he was nearly shouting. “You must be outta your goddamn mind if you think we’ll accept some behavior chart like we’re preschoolers!” he finished, with a few others raising their voices in agreement.

The situation probably would have gone downhill from there had it not been for Coach Imawano intervening.

“Brooklyn”, he said sharply, not bothering to raise his voice. The room fell silent, and all eyes were on him. “Let him finish speaking, and then we’ll discuss this”, he said gruffly.

“No, it’s fine”, Toa said, glancing over at Coach Imawano. “I’m sure there are many questions they have, and I’m glad to answer them”. He turned his gaze to Brooklyn.

“What about this concerns you?”, he asked, all but challenging him. Brooklyn ground his teeth, probably knowing that he had to be somewhat polite, lest he incur Coach Imawano’s wrath.

“What the hell are you thinking?”, he asked, in a normal voice this time. “Where do you get off treating us like a bunch of kids”?

“That’s a fair question”, Toa said serenely. “You see, once you stop acting like children, we will stop treating you like children”.

“Tokuchi”, Imawano said, with a hint of warning in his voice. It was nice to see that Coach Imawano wasn’t going to let Toa get away with everything.

Toa all but ignored his tone.

“Before you get all up in arms, wouldn’t you like to hear what the marks mean for you?”, Toa asked.

Nobody said a word. Apparently Toa took that as encouragement, as he continued to speak.

“You see, these markers correlate with how well you function in a team setting. If you perform well, you don’t get any marks. You get to keep your full privileges”.

“Full privileges?”, Thomas interrupted, sounding disbelieving.

“Yes, full privileges”, Toa affirmed. “If you get marks on the other hand, you get demerits and can lose privileges”.

Itsuki could cut the tension in the room with a knife.  
Imawano stood up and gestured at Toa, waving him to the side. Apparently he’d had enough of Toa all but antagonizing them.

“If you get too many marks, you’ll lose privileges like bag carriers, open access to the stadium, and days off”, Imawano said, not looking happy.

“What happens if the chart gets full?”, Thomas asked, more politely this time.

“You get demoted to the second string or minor league team depending on the severity of the demerit”, Imawano said in a voice that left no room for argument.

The room went into total disbelieving silence.

“It’s not that big a deal”, Toa said from the side. “If you do what you’re being paid to do, you’ll be fine”.

Brooklyn stood up to leave, apparently having had enough of Toa.

“This is bullshit”, he muttered as he stalked towards the door.

“That’s fine”, Toa said, approaching the board. “So you don’t mind if I do this then, do you?”, he said, uncapping a red marker and holding it up to the first square beside Brooklyn’s name.

Brooklyn paused for a moment, then turned around to look at Toa.

“For what?”, he asked.

“Does it matter?”, Toa asked. “If you think it’s bullshit, then why do you care if I mark your chart? Really, if it means that little to you, does it even matter how many I mark off?”

Brooklyn glared at him for a few seconds. Toa gazed at him in turn, not faltering even for a fraction of a second.

Brooklyn muttered a curse, then took a seat, momentarily defeated.

Toa capped the marker and put it down, the slightest hint of satisfaction flashing across his face.

Coach Imawano dismissed them after that, probably not wanting the situation to escalate any more. On the way out, they were informed that the board would be hanging in a public place so everyone would know where their teammates were, demerit-wise. The general consensus was that this whole thing was bullshit, and that Imawano wouldn’t let it last a week. Itsuki wasn’t too sure, though. He had seemed pretty invested in Toa’s new idea.

The bench was quiet in the minutes leading up to the game. Nobody was really willing to speak to anybody else. Whether out of disbelief at the situation or not wanting to get a mark, Itsuki couldn’t guess. His money was on the former though. He made it a point to not look at Toa. He was more than a little upset at the moment. Saving him from the trade aside, this was still a dirty thing to spring on him.

The game that night went well for him. He had duked it out with Saitou for the first half. His curveballs nearly threw him off, but his fastballs were pretty easy to deal with. Toa had pretty much prepared him for any pitcher that used fastballs with any technique other than straight up ridiculous speed. Ito and Kim proved to be similarly engaging. He scored an RBI, bringing him back up to the top, knocking Amami out of the number one slot.

Not everybody shared his success though. Kira had earned a yellow mark by his name when he made an unnecessarily snide remark to Brooklyn. Brooklyn earned one in turn when he loudly proclaimed something about Kira’s mother and the nature of her job. Kawanaka and Mizuhashi both earned yellow marks as well from ignoring instructions from the dugout, with Mizuhashi disobedience resulting in the Finger’s scoring a couple of points from runners on second and third base.

So far, Toa hadn’t recorded any demerits himself; it looked like they were mostly coming from other members of the coaching staff. Itsuki noted the upbeat atmosphere around the coaching staff. They really were having too much fun with the new system. But it seemed to be working fast. By the second half of the game, there was a kind of begrudging mutual respect among the players, who were most likely feeling united in their mutual disgust at the board.

Itsuki sighed, earning the attention of Thomas, who was sitting to his left.

“You feel it too, huh”, Thomas said, glancing around.

“I guess”, Itsuki responded. “I’m not quite sure how to interpret it yet, though”.

“I kind of get that”, Thomas said, leaning back a bit, waiting for the seventh inning stretch to be over. “It makes sense, in a messed up sort of way”.

“How is that?”, Itsuki asked, wondering where Thomas was going with this.

“He’s doing the same thing with us that he did to the Lycaons with the L-Tickets”, Thomas said.

Itsuki knitted his brow and looked over at Thomas.

“What do you mean?”, he asked, genuinely curious now.

“Once you get down to it, it’s the same principle”, Thomas started. “With the L-Tickets, he’s publicly rewarding them for doing what they’re supposed to do. You know, like work together, make good plays, stuff like that”.

Itsuki nodded, catching on.

“With us, it’s kind of the opposite. Instead of publicly rewarding us, he’s publicly shaming us, and instead of paying us more or less depending on how we do, he’s threatening us with loss of privileges”.

“Oh”, Itsuki responded. “So he’s basically conditioning us”.

“Exactly”, Thomas responded, nodding at him. “With this system, he’s probably thinking that our desire to do well will be so ingrained in us that we’ll move beyond using the board”.

“It’s still pretty insulting that he’s using it, though”, Itsuki commented.

“Of course it is”, Thomas said. “He’s treating us like children, but some people on the team probably need that right now. The two of us probably don’t have to worry about that. For the most part, we’re team players, and we really don’t cause any trouble”.

“For the most part”, Itsuki echoed. “Remember that time you punched Tokuchi in the face?”, he asked, grinning over at Thomas.

“Of course I do. That’s definitely one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done. I would definitely recommend it”, he said, grinning back.

Itsuki would have replied with a clever comment, no doubt, but the end of the seventh inning stretch was announced. He followed Mizuhashi onto the field, and headed over to third base. He kept his eyes on the current batter. Ito was known as a base stealer. Mizuhashi would have to be on his a-game if he wanted to get him out and avoid making any pickoff attempts.

The rest of the game went on as he expected. The new players were good, but Itsuki could tell that they were still pretty new and still getting used to the major leagues. They made some rookie mistakes, but that was to be expected. He hadn’t met too many rookies who were able to totally dominate the game in their first season.

After the game ended with them in the lead by five points, Itsuki changed quickly so he could go and track Toa down. He had a few questions for him. It proved to be fruitless, however, as he was told that Tokuchi had left right after the game. Whether to escape the ire of his teammates or to get ahead in his schemes, Itsuki didn’t know. Knowing Toa, It was probably mostly the latter.

 

The next two games passed without a hitch. It might have been due to them hitting their stride as a team, to it could have been Tokuchi’s shame-board, as they had come to call it. Either way, Itsuki could honestly say he didn’t care. They were winning, and they were getting along better. Sometimes the good mood in the dugout felt a little artificial, but he had always heard that if you went through the motions long enough, anything could become genuine over time. Itsuki hoped so, at least.

Itsuki finally managed to track Toa down a few days later when he was walking in the direction of the exit after terrorizing another team practice.

“Hey”, Itsuki said, a little louder than normal to get Toa’s attention.

“Hm?”, Toa said, turning around to face him.

Itsuki sized him up, noting the bag of file folders he had slung over his shoulder.

“Can we talk?”, Itsuki asked, suddenly a little hesitant. Toa hadn’t really talked to him since he left Toa’s apartment after their last encounter.

“About what?”, Toa asked, hefting the bag a bit. It looked pretty heavy.

“What’s been going on?”, Itsuki asked, shifting a bit.

“There’s been a lot going on”, Toa said. “You’ll have to be a bit more specific”.

Itsuki relaxed his shoulders. He pretty much expected Toa to be difficult.

“Do I need a reason to talk with you?”, Itsuki asked suddenly. “I think we’re at the point where I don’t have to schedule a meeting to chat”.

“I never said you had to have a reason, or that you had to make an appointment”, Toa said dryly, finally letting the bag of files slide off his shoulder onto the floor. “I was just wondering whether or not this was going to be a public conversation”.

“Oh”, Itsuki finally said. “Maybe a bit of both? The trade, to start with”, Itsuki said. “Maybe about what else is happening with you?”

Toa looked at him for a second, as if he was deciding what to do with him. Finally, he picked his files up again, then nodded his head back down the hall. “My office, then, I suppose”, he said, and started walking in that direction.

Itsuki followed him, trying to read him as he went. Toa didn’t seem annoyed or put out, but he didn’t really seem eager or happy to see him, either. Itsuki wondered when Toa would let his mask slip, if ever.

Once they arrived at Toa’s office, he unlocked the door, and stood aside for Itsuki to enter. Looking around, he had been right about him spending more time in the coach’s lounge and resource centers. The room looked weirdly tidy, and the computer that had previously been taking up his desk was gone. Taking a seat in his old folding chair, Itsuki started over at Toa, trying to decide what he should bring up first.

“What happened with the trade?”, he asked, figuring that he’d ask his most burning questions first before Toa decided to leave.

“Imawano probably already told you everything”, Toa responded plainly.

“He really didn’t”, Itsuki said. “He just said that is was going to happen, but it didn’t. He said that the coaching staff put a stop to it, so I figured that was his roundabout way of telling me it was you”.

“Imawano needs to keep his damn mouth shut”, Toa said with a hint of steel in his voice.

Itsuki was a little taken aback at Toa’s tone. He never really let anything slip through, even when he was being confronted. Itsuki pondered this for a fraction of a second. Toa was definitely uncomfortable with this discussion. Itsuki resolved to get it over with.

“Thanks”, he said. “For stopping it. I really appreciate it”.

“Don’t bother”, Toa said with an air of finality. “It’s better to keep you around. It’ll make this whole thing easier”.

Itsuki gazed over at Toa. He was even colder than usual, which bothered Itsuki a tiny bit. He had thought he was making a little bit of progress with Toa as a friend, or whatever that term really meant. Something involving the trade had definitely happened. Itsuki felt a flash of guilt; he didn’t like the thought of something happening to Toa because of him. 

He was a bastard, no doubt about that. Still, Itsuki didn’t like the idea of anything happening to those close to him, and lately Toa was pretty close to him. Physically, at least. Itsuki did his best to keep the concern off his face. Toa would no doubt dislike that. He wasn’t the type to tolerate others concern for him. But Itsuki still felt the need to push, even just a little bit.

“Okay”, he said, keeping his voice even. “I won’t ask you about it anymore. But I just want to know if we’re alright”.

Toa raised an eyebrow at him, but didn’t answer.

“I like what we’ve been doing, and I would like to keep it up, at least in the near future. I don’t want to do anything you’re not okay with, and I don’t want to push you. If you want me to leave you alone, I will”.

Toa sighed, then leaned on the hand he had propped up on his desk.

“I never said that I was done with you”, he said, sending a bit of a thrill down Itsuki’s spine. “I’ve just been busy. You know how it is”.

“Yeah, I know how it is”, Itsuki echoed, feeling a little relieved.

“Besides”, Toa continued, “We don’t have to see each other every day. We’re not dating”.

Itsuki felt his blood turn cold in an instant.

“And thank god for that”, Itsuki said, snorting. “There’s no way that wouldn’t end in a murder-suicide”.

Toa actually snickered at that. “You’re probably not wrong there”, he said, picking up his things.

Apparently their conversation was over. It figured. Toa had probably reached his three emotion limit for the day. Itsuki left Toa behind to collect his things and lock up his office. He was a little curious about what Toa had in that bag, but judging by what he’d experienced so far, he’d rather not find out. Better to find out with everybody else.


	21. Chapter Twenty One

Toa was actually having fun. When he was first “recruited”, he had figured that he would be in for a year of suffering and misery wrapped up in high expectations and bureaucratic tape. The high expectations remained, but with Imawano finally cooperating with about half of his plans, things were looking up. With the shame-board, the Mariners players were doing better as a team. As expected, they were soon cooperating with each other, and those who weren’t soon found a red or yellow mark by their names losing privileges and respect, which led to public humiliation and lost privileges.

Nothing made someone get back into line like a little bit of public humiliation. It wouldn’t last forever though. Soon, he would have to change it up. Long term public humiliation would only lead to resentment. When it came time to renew contracts, lingering resentment could alter the team roster for the next year. That wasn’t Toa’s problem, but if he wanted Imawano to keep cooperating, he had to stay in his good graces.

Over the next few weeks, the Mariners were beginning to build up their momentum in their games against the Blue Mars and the Eagles. With a little nudge from the board, the team had started acting a bit more conscientiously. As he predicted, though, it was a quick short-term solution, and he would have to come up with something that would last in the long run. That’s where Imawano came in. He wouldn’t have to worry about implementation until the last minute though.

He had to admit, however, the cost of these successes were pretty high for him. He now spent most of his time writing his plans out for approval from a special committee of coaches who would approve, deny, or edit them. He had to admit, when he read them those reports, they all sounded kind of ridiculous. They worked, but it came at the cost of any chance he might have to go out gambling or sleeping around.

Imawano was probably okay with that, but Toa wasn’t. He was beginning to get antsy without his usual outlets. Improving the team through bribery and humiliation was all fun and good, but sometimes a guy just needed to feel the thrill of winning a high-stakes game of poker, or enjoying the company of another adult.

On that note, he had noticed that Itsuki was also getting a little edgy. At first, Toa doubted that it was anything more than the usual overwhelming desire to better himself and the team. God knew he spent too much time and energy on that. But with all the furtive glances his way, he soon came to the conclusion that he was a little pent up, too. Toa didn’t understand why, of course.

He was attractive and successful enough to get just about anybody he wanted, but he apparently hadn’t done anything about it. He was probably too busy doing whatever he did in his spare time. Probably practicing way too long, and then coming up with ways to mess with Toa. That has apparently been one of his favorite pastimes for over a year now. Toa couldn’t really bring himself to mind, though. Itsuki might occasionally be a little slow on the uptake, but once he got there, he was able to challenge Toa in ways he hadn’t encountered in other people.

Toa stood up and cleared off his desk, putting away the papers he had been going over. It wouldn’t do for someone to get in and see them lying there out in the open. With that, he headed up to the dugout to meet the other coaching staff to get ready for the game against the Bugaboos. He wasn’t terribly worried. If they could keep up their momentum, they could dominate these games and psyche themselves up for their next three game series that was coming up against the Lycaons.

This time would be different, as he wasn’t actively dreading this game. If anything, he welcomed it. Kojima had done something unforgivable, and he would be damned if he didn’t pay back the favor. This time, though, he would be ready. With Imawano keeping him on a longer leash, he would be able to participate in ways he had been unwilling and unable to the past time. He might not know exactly how to go about crushing the Lycaons, but he could certainly facilitate any ideas the others may have.

The game against the Bugaboos that night was as unremarkable as the others they had played since the Fingers. They had won unequivocally. It was beginning to seem as though the King Mariners were back, and ready to retake their titles. Amami and Takami were still battling for the top spots for outfielders. Kawanaka and Mizuhashi were fighting for and winning all categories that didn’t apply to Kurai.

He was still proving himself to be what was probably the best speed pitcher in the world. Toa had really created a monster there. He stood up and left the dugout, leaving the other coaches behind. They were much more comfortable with him being there than they were when he had first arrived. Comfortable might be too strong a word though. They definitely hated him less, and listened to what he had to say. It was definitely an upgrade from before.

Itsuki was a patient man by nature, but this was getting ridiculous. For the past few weeks, Toa had been ignoring him in favor of Coach Imawano and the other members of the coaching staff. Sure, he was helping them win, but Itsuki couldn’t help but feel the slightest twinge of jealousy. He was definitely getting pent up, but he honestly didn’t want to mess around with anyone other than Toa.

Itsuki could admit that he found Toa to be a good match for him as a sort of friend with benefits. He could talk to Toa, and have him keep up easily. He challenged and infuriated Itsuki like no one else had ever managed to do. It also didn’t hurt that he was hopelessly attracted to the ruthlessly intelligent type, which basically fit Toa to a T. He had to be careful; it was a dark path he was going down.

Itsuki didn’t really have too much time to ruminate, as his coach had him running through all kinds of new drills, no doubt thanks to Toa. He honestly didn’t know where he was going with all this, but it didn’t really matter as long as they kept winning. And they would have to keep winning. After the beat down they laid upon the Bugaboos, he felt that the team was better prepared for the upcoming series against the Lycaons.

The Lycaons still had a better record, but not by much. With their recent wins under their belt, the Mariners were fast approaching. With that in mind, the general mood of the Mariners players had definitely hit an uptick. They were getting along better, even if it was begrudgingly on the behalf of some. That was fine with him though; with each passing game they improved vastly.

Soon enough, Itsuki found himself in the away team’s dugout in the Lycaons’ stadium. This time, however, nobody from the other side had come over to taunt Toa. He was a little disappointed; Toa seemed like he was out for blood with this one. With that in mind, it would be interesting to see how Toa functioned during this game. Would he sit back and watch, letting the other coaches gave the orders? Or would he be more active in this game, actively giving them instructions to obstruct the Lycaons’ every move?

Itsuki’s questions weren’t answered until the third inning, when he was about to go up to bat against Takahashi.

“Watch out for his slider”, Toa said from behind him.

“What?”, Itsuki asked, glancing over his shoulder.

Toa was basically lounging like usual, head propped up in his hand.

“Keep an eye on him”, Toa said, not explaining any further. “You’ll figure it out”.

Itsuki nodded slightly then went up to the plate. He got into his stance, and stared Takahashi down. Takahashi stared defiantly back at him. Itsuki missed the days when he intimidated Takahashi. Itsuki didn’t think anything of it though. Defiant or not, Itsuki was still the superior player here.

Takahashi pitched from the windup, moving his arm and hand in such a way that Itsuki realized that Toa was right. He was pitching him a slider, plain as day. On his own Itsuki would have realized as much, but with the extra warning, he actually had time to make a plan of action. Itsuki swung hard, feeling the crack of the ball hitting the bat and sailing into the stand between the home run poles.

Itsuki felt the flash of adrenaline pump through him as he followed Amami, who had been on third, towards the home plate. From his vantage point on his way towards the dugout, he could see Takahashi’s lip curl in annoyance. Itsuki turned towards is significantly more energetic teammates with a hint of a grin. Toa had a plan, and he had probably just put it into action. Once he reached the dugout, he walked past his usual spot beside Thomas, and parked himself by Tokuchi.

Tokuchi actually turned his head to look at him, but didn’t acknowledge him beyond that.

“What are you planning?”, he asked in a low tone, as if the Lycaons could hear him from the other side of the field.

“Nothing much”, Toa responded, looking ahead at the field now. “Just making some openings. The rest is really up to you guys”.

“Openings, huh?”, Itsuki asked airily. “In that case, I might have a few suggestions”.

Toa shrugged, turning to look at him again. “I’m listening”, he said.

Two innings later, Itsuki could see why Toa had so much fun messing with other team’s heads. It really did have its own charm. Toa had taken Itsuki’s suggestions to heart, and had even confided some of his own. So far, they had irritated Takahashi into giving up two walks, eventually causing him to leave the mound in disgust. Apparently he didn’t like it when Toa called his pitches from the sidelines as he was going through the motions.

Kojima had called a referee over, but there was nothing in the rulebook stating that Toa couldn’t talk to his fellow coaches at an elevated volume in his own dugout. Kojima had shaken his head in annoyance as he headed back over to his side of the field. That was one Itsuki had suggested. He had always wanted to do that, but he had the feeling that Toa was one of the only people who could get away with it. He was better at talking referees into submission than anyone.

Soon enough, Itsuki was up at bat again, facing down Kurai this time. It was just the slightest bit intimidating. He had been fine when he was up against Takahashi, but with Kurai, there wasn’t much he could do to shake him. From what he had heard about the man, there wasn’t anything that he could morally do to him that hadn’t been done to him a thousand times before. That got a rise of pity out of him, which he disliked.

He didn’t like to feel that way about his opponents. He really was a little too empathetic for his own good sometimes. In the end though, it didn’t really matter. He struck out quickly with only one pathetic foul ball. Thomas was quickly struck out as well, and Kurai handed the mound over to Mizuhashi.

Mizuhashi had been more than happy to listen to Itsuki when he gave him the advice Toa had told him to pass along. Sugadaira would be doing his best to fake an injury or make a trick play, so Mizuhashi went through the motions of walking him, only to quickly strike him out when he got too comfortable with his plan. The other pitchers didn’t think highly of Sugadaira’s methods, so they were willing to do whatever it took to get him off the plate.

As the game went on, the Mariners were starting to overwhelm the Lycaons. Now that Itsuki was seeing Toa in action, he could understand how he had been able to turn a team like the Lycaons around. It was also pretty fun to conspire with him on the bench. Judging by the looks Coach Imawano was shooting them, he didn’t agree. He didn’t do anything to stop them, though.

“Seriously, how can we stop Kurai?”, he hissed, practically glaring over at the pitcher.

“Unless you’re willing to be beaned, I have no idea”, Toa stated.

“Beaned?”, Itsuki asked.

“Yeah. I didn’t tell you, did I?”, Toa asked absentmindedly.

“Tell me what?”, Itsuki asked.

“That’s why he took so long to play seriously”, Toa began, “He beaned Muruwaka in the head, and it scared him so badly he had to work his way back up into becoming a decent pitcher again. That’s also why it’s so hard for Muruwaka to be useful”.

“Seriously”, Itsuki said with a low whistle. “Did he hit him with the 164 kilometer an hour pitch?”, when Toa nodded the affirmative, he shook his head. “That would traumatize me too. Just thinking about it scares me a little”, he admitted.

“It should”, Toa said, turning back to the game.

“What do you want to bet that we can freak Muruwaka out a bit?”, Itsuki asked, still facing Toa.

“Are you suggesting that we take advantage of a man’s past trauma to avoid giving up a point?”, Toa asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, basically”, Itsuki said, shrugging. If they were going all in on this messing with the Lycaons business, they might as well take it all the way. It was in bad taste, but he had done worse for fewer payoffs.

“Okay”, Toa said, nodding his head a bit. “How do you suggest we take advantage of that?”

“If I were a coach, I might have the pitcher, probably Kira, throw two unusually slow, low spinning balls to throw off his pace, then get him with a fast breaking ball”.

“That could work”, Toa said, smiling just the slightest bit. “Especially with his training he has to go through before he goes up to bat”.

“Training?”, Itsuki repeated. “What do you mean by that?”

“You don’t honestly think he got over his fear of being hit that fast, did you?”, Toa asked.

“You were having someone warm him up before he went up to bat, weren’t you?”, Itsuki asked, realizing one of Toa’s past tricks.

“Basically. They have to warm him up specifically for the pitcher they think he’s going up against though.”, Toa said. “Anyway, want to put your theory to the test?”, he asked, turning towards where Coach Imawano was standing.

“Go for it”, Itsuki said, feeling a bit of a rush.

He was actually scheming with Toa. It was kind of fun. He was usually on his own when it came to making strategies like this. It reminded him a bit of when he first met Toa the year before. It hadn’t been as fun to make plans then, but now, with that pressure off and when he didn’t have to worry about ending a game or out-cheating Toa, he could enjoy the process.

He stood by Toa as Imawano begrudgingly announced a pitching change. Itsuki appreciated that Toa took his idea to heart. If this didn’t work out, he could lose credibility with Coach Imawano, which could lead to a loss of influence. That wouldn’t bode well for any future ideas Toa may have to push the Mariners ahead. It was a level of trust Itsuki didn’t really expect of Toa.

He apparently didn’t need to worry, as Kira performed as expected. Muruwaka let the first two balls go by, which most likely messed up his timing. With the third ball, he swung and missed, but just barely. Itsuki would still count it as a win though. He had to count the little things when the going was at tough as it had been.

Over the course of the game, Toa would occasionally make a comment to a coach or a player, usually resulting in something favorable. With his advice, the Lycaons began to flail under the pressure. Not as much as they should have though. Oddly enough, the overall attitude of the team didn’t change. Individual players would express their frustration, but for the most part, those unaffected held their ground.

That was worrisome. Even with his occasional input, he wasn’t seeing the dramatic effect he was hoping for. If Toa had put this much pressure on them last season, he could guarantee that they would crack and crumble as a team. That was probably the majority of their growth right there. If they had any chance of beating the Lycaons, it definitely did not lie in breaking their spirit. They would have to vastly improve their dynamic if they had any hope of beating the Lycaons down.

Despite the ease with which the Lycaons collectively kept their cool, the Mariners managed to scrape out a victory. This put them above the Bugaboos in the rankings, which would probably soothe some of the sore feelings about their previous failures. After the game had ended before he left the dugout, Itsuki approached Toa.

“Hey, do you want to walk outside together?”, Itsuki asked once they were out of earshot on their way out of the dugout.

“Hm?”, Toa began. “Why?” 

“Nothing bad”, Itsuki said. “It’s a nice night and I thought it might be nice to walk together”.

“That’s fine, I guess”, Toa said, without the cold tone he’d been assuming for the past few weeks.

“Give me fifteen minutes to shower and change and I’ll meet you out here”, Itsuki said.

“That’s fine”, Toa said. “I have a few things I need to take care of, myself”.

With that, they separated. Itsuki probably made a new world record with how fast he was in and out of the locker room. He ignored the chatter of his teammates, and went back to where he had left Toa. He arrived to find Toa waiting for him. Wordlessly, they started walking together out to the parking lot. 

“That was kind of a rush tonight”. Itsuki said, glancing over at Toa.

“Oh?”, Toa responded, still looking straight ahead.

“Yeah”, Itsuki continued. “Working together like that. I was always trying to keep up with you last year, but now I know why”, Itsuki said, hoping that Toa wouldn’t take the compliment the wrong way.

“I have to admit, It was fun to watch you try”, Toa said, finally looking back at him.  
“I got you in the end, though”, Itsuki said, letting a hint of smugness creep through.

“Me personally, yeah”, Toa said. “But you didn’t win the war. The Lycaons still won. And I like to think that I had something to do with that”.

Itsuki snorted and looked away. “It doesn’t really matter now, though. Now we have you here to make up for it”.

“I’m not making up for anything”, Toa retorted. “I’m just holding up my end of the bargain. Saying I’m making up for it would imply that I feel guilt over it”.

“Which you don’t”, Itsuki said. “Still, though, it was good working with you, if you could call it that. What we did wasn’t very sportsmanlike, but it got the job done”.

“Of course it did”, Toa said. “If you want to keep winning, you have to discard any notion of sportsmanship you had. You’re way too polite”, Toa said pointedly.

“I like being polite”, Itsuki continued, “But that doesn’t mean that I don’t have a strong desire to win. I get that you have to beat everybody else down to get there and all, but I can at least soften the blow”.

“That’s kind of like you, isn’t it”, Toa said slowly. “You’re nice face to face, but when push comes to shove, you can play dirty. At least I’m up front and honest about my intentions”. 

“Are you saying I’m deceiving people?”, Itsuki asked.

“I wouldn’t go that far”, Toa said. “I do think that you can be much more ruthless than you let on”.

“That’s a little true, I guess”, Itsuki said. He wasn’t sure he liked where this was going. It was never a good thing when Toa started analyzing someone.

“Anyway”, Itsuki continued, “It was fun, we should do it again sometime. I might even be able to contribute something”.

“I have no doubt about that”, Toa said as they neared their cars. “I know that you’re a schemer, no matter how hard you try to hide it”.

“I don’t really try that hard to hide it”, Itsuki said as he stopped by his car. “It’s just not what people interpret me as. You obviously saw right through me though”, he admitted.

Toa stopped for a minute, looking at him. Itsuki hesitated, wondering what he would do or say next.

“I have to admit”, Toa started, “It was nice to have someone else assist for once. I mostly worked alone back then. You kept up with me and had ideas of your own”.

Itsuki hesitated for a moment. Toa had probably just complimented him in the biggest way he could.

“Thanks”, he finally said. “We should do it again sometime”.

“Oh, we definitely will”, Toa replied. With that, he turned away from Itsuki and headed over to his car.

Itsuki watched him until he got in, then turned away. He was beginning to think that he really had made the right choice bringing Toa to the team.


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

Their next games against the Fingers and the Bugaboos followed the same pattern as those against the Lycaons, but with a higher degree of success. The Fingers were still getting used to their entirely new batting and pitching lineups”. This left cracks for the newly motivated Mariners to take advantage of. Itsuki had noticed that Toa was less active in those games than he had been for the games against the Lycaons, but that made sense. He had never played for the Fingers, and he probably didn’t have any issues he had to work through there.

Not that Itsuki could really see Toa having any deep seated issues with the   
Lycaons. There might be some pent up resentment or frustration with the team, but he never seemed to show it if there was. He really could have just been performing better due to his in-depth knowledge of the team. It didn’t matter either way. They had performed well when it had mattered, and they wouldn’t have to face them again for another three weeks or so. 

As Itsuki unpacked his bag in the locker room, he could feel that the atmosphere was considerably lighter than it had been at the beginning of the season. Granted, that was just among the players themselves. The tension between the coaching staff and the players was so thick, Itsuki could probably cut it with a knife. They hadn’t taken well to how the coaches had used the shame-board as everyone now called it. Itsuki could tell that the coaching staff disliked that term, but nobody could come up with anything better, and Toa hadn’t helped things in that regard.

Itsuki had to admit, though, he was seeing results. The Mariners outfielders were paying closer attention to orders from the dugout, and there was less arguing and needling going on in the dugout. Apparently the coaches had had enough of that behavior, as they seemed all too eager to put marks on the board. Itsuki was pretty good about keeping to himself and following instructions for the most part, but others like Kira had ended up with a long line of marks next to their names. Those players were also the most likely to get fed up with the system, leading to more problems.

Thankfully, things hadn’t collapsed yet. Toa still kept them in line for the most part with the nonverbal threat of a greater evil that might come to rise in place of his shame-board. It didn’t hurt that he was actually participating in games now, giving thinly veiled orders under the guise of advice, along with actually taking Itsuki’s guidance along the way. Coach Imawano had always been good about hearing Itsuki’s ideas out, but more often than not, he ended up bastardizing them or just going with his own plans in the end. That made Toa a bit more appealing in Itsuki’s book.

Surprisingly, he wasn’t the only one that felt that way. A minority of players had emerged that actually seemed to prefer Toa to the other coaches. It probably had to do with the fact that he didn’t utilize public humiliation to the extent the other coaches did, and his contributions during their games had also been appreciated. When he did make a mark on the shame-board, it was usually a fair move. Itsuki could admit that some players did occasionally need to be put in their place.

Itsuki had other reasons for his bias. Collaborating with Toa during games had been exhilarating. He loved having someone he could bounce ideas off of, help with suggestions, and scheme with without having to worry about being judged or shot down. Toa also proved to be useful when it came time to give Coach Imawano suggestions. Itsuki never had as much sway as Toa currently did, which did leave a bitter taste in his mouth. He had been on the team for four years, but Coach Imawano still didn’t fully approve of everything he suggested.

He didn’t exactly approve of everything Toa suggested either, but he utilized his suggestions and ideas far more often then he did Itsuki’s. Itsuki could get past that as long as they kept winning though. And as long as he could work with Toa. He had to admit, their situation was working out well for the time being. The only downside was that with his newfound position of power on the team, Toa had no free time as he was practically living in the coaching staff offices.

Itsuki looked around the now empty locker room. He had been thinking too hard for too long. He stretched, then headed out. They had their final game against the Bugaboos that evening, then he would have a couple of days off. He fully intended to enjoy those, as he rarely got more than a day off at a time.

In the dugout, Itsuki recognized that the mood was still tense around the coaching staff, but the aura around his teammates was more lighthearted. They had won their game against the Bugaboos yesterday, and they had only lost by a measly two points the day before. They were gaining serious momentum, and they had themselves to thank for it this time. Granted, Toa’s methods helped, but it took a lot of personal accountability for his teammates to get their heads out of their asses. That was one area Itsuki had failed in last season.

As his team progressed, he was finding areas of improvement he hadn’t considered the past season. Just giving them a method to beat their opponents wasn’t enough. It helped, but that alone wouldn’t help them with responsibility, teamwork, or professionalism. That was one area in which Toa apparently had him beat. He could admit that he just couldn’t manipulate others with the degree of finesse that Toa managed to pull off.

Itsuki sate down between Thomas and Amami on the bench. He suppressed the urge to look over at Toa, who was no doubt buttering Coach Imawano up for another round of ideas he had no doubt schemed up. Imawano liked the results of Toa’s trickery, but he apparently still didn’t like his methods. Even Itsuki could acknowledge that sometimes plain old strength wasn’t enough. Sometimes a team did have to play a little dirty.

“What do you think he’ll pull out this time?”, Thomas asked from beside Itsuki, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“I’m not too sure”, Itsuki said, finally looking over at where Toa was standing. Coach Imawano had his back turned to him, so that could go either way.

“Any plans yourself?” Amami asked, apparently operating on the same line of thought as Thomas.

“Maybe”, Itsuki said. “It depends on what they do today. It’s hard to plan that kind of thing in advance, especially for a team with so many new people”.

“I can see that”, Thomas said. “I guess to plan in advance, you would have to have something specific in mind”.

“Exactly”, Itsuki affirmed.

“That doesn’t seem to be a problem for Tokuchi though”, Thomas said, going back to his previous point.

“I doubt that Tokuchi is limited by that”, Amami said, leaning forward a bit so he could see Thomas around Itsuki.

“Yeah?”, Thomas asked, indicating for him to go on.

“I doubt that they could come up with anything Tokuchi hasn’t anticipated yet”, Amami said, ignoring the look Toa threw his way. Apparently they were being louder than they thought.

“I mean, I guess I could see that”, Thomas said, nodding. “If anybody would spend that much time and energy trying to get in other people’s heads, it would probably be easier to anticipate their moves”.

“Last season I really wondered if he was working alone”, Amami said, leaning back again. “I thought that maybe Kojima had turned over a new leaf and was working with him, giving him ideas or something. Now that I see what he’s doing here, I doubt that”.

“Yeah”, Itsuki said, butting in, “Kojima never struck me as that kind of guy. Not to say that he’s stupid or anything, but I doubt he could think like that. I don’t think he has it in him”.

“Exactly”, Thomas affirmed. “I always suspected that he came up with this stuff on his own since last year”.

“Uh huh”, Itsuki said, grinning at him. “I bet you did. That’s why you were the one to stop him”.

“I never said I could stop him”, Thomas said, now defensive. “I just said that I suspected that it was just him that was up to no good”.

“That’s not entirely true”, Amami said. “They weren’t the ones coming up with plans, but they seemed perfectly content to go along with them”.

“Good point”, Thomas said. He probably would have continued, but the it had just been decided that the Bugaboos were up to bat first, so they headed out onto the field to man their positions. 

Mizuhashi took the mound, and stared down Kinouchi, the first man on the Bugaboos batting lineup. Itsuki tensed up in anticipation on a possible hit. In the past, Kinouchi had exhibited a bad habit of sending live balls towards third base. Itsuki wasn’t about to be the first one that evening to let the Bugaboos win a point. Hopefully nobody would be that first person.

Thankfully, Itsuki didn’t have to worry about that, as Mizuhashi did what he did best and struck all three batters out with only a few balls thrown in. As they switched out, Itsuki glanced over to where the coaches were standing. It looked like Toa hadn’t moved an inch since the game began. That figured, there really wasn’t much he could have done in the first half of the inning.

The next few innings progressed with little difficulty for the Mariners batting lineup. They scored a few points, and currently held the score at 6-3. It didn’t hurt that Velasquez had been out injured for their previous games. Velaquez hadn’t played for at least a month. He had only been able to go up against him the one time before he was injured in his game against the Blue Mars. It was unfortunate that he had that collision with Rodrigo when he did; it was rare for pitchers to be injured like that.

On the bottom of the fifth, however, their luck seemed to have run out, as a pitching change between Isobe and Velasquez was announced. That had shaken the batting lineup, Itsuki included. It was rare for a valuable pitcher to be out for that long only to be reintroduced with no fanfare. Usually there was at least a press release or something.

Velasquez worked his way through the lineup until he was facing Itsuki from the mound. When Itsuki saw his eyes, he almost felt like he had to take a step back. He was definitely different from last time. Where before, he had the wide-eyed look of an excited newbie, he now faced Itsuki down with a look of almost malicious intent. Apparently the injury wasn’t just physical.

Velasquez didn’t waste any more time in striking Itsuki out, with one forkball and two knuckleballs. When Itsuki sat back down in the dugout, Amami nudged him with his foot. 

“He’s different this time”, Amami observed.

“Yeah. He seems pretty heated, doesn’t he?”, Itsuki said.

“It’ll either be really good for us or really bad”, Amami said before getting up and grabbing his glove as Brooklyn was unceremoniously struck out. Itsuki sighed, grabbed his glove, and headed out after Amami. He would need to think on that for a bit.

By the end of the inning, Itsuki had indeed worked out an idea, and it wasn’t too soon, considering they’d managed to give up two points, bringing the score to 6-5. As he walked off the field, he made direct eye contact with Toa, who had been speaking with Coach Imawano. Imawano, not noticing Itsuki, turned to speak with the Second Base Coach. Toa took a step away from him to make room for Itsuki.

“Do you have anything planned?”, Itsuki asked.

“Maybe, but it sounds like you have something yourself”, Toa said lightheartedly. How he could keep his cool so thoroughly all the time Itsuki would never know.

“Maybe”, Itsuki replied. “You’ve noticed how heated Velasquez has been, right?”

“I wouldn’t say that”, Toa said. “I would say he’s more vengeful than heated”.

“Whatever”, Itsuki said, feeling a little rush. He had recently realized that Toa didn’t nitpick and tease just anybody. “Anyway, I think I know how to get to him”.

“I was going to say the same thing”, Toa said. “You first”.

“He’s still favoring his left hip”, Itsuki started. “If he’s still feeling pain on that side, then we should load him up with right handed batters. That way, when we do hit off him, he’ll have to use that side more”.

Toa straight up smiled at him, and not in a friendly way either. Itsuki could swear that he could see a malevolent glint in his eyes. It was a little unnerving, but it made Itsuki aware of how hot the blood in his body was flowing.

“Exactly”, Toa started. “The more he has to run and maneuver, the more tired he gets. The more tired he gets, the more emotionally volatile he’ll be. He could very well crumble both physically and emotionally before this game is over. His coach really was an idiot putting him in now”.

Itsuki felt a shiver run up his spine. Toa was agreeing with him. Before he could say anything else, Toa turned away from him and approached Imawano. He didn’t bother trying to listen to what they were saying. He had just gotten one hell of a compliment.

It wasn’t long before a new batting lineup was announced. He and Brooklyn were moved up, and the lefty batters were taken off. Amami didn’t seem to mind as much as the others though. Itsuki must have looked confused because Amami spoke up.

“He’s not really all in”, he said slumping down a bit. “He’s pretty good, but when someone’s just pitching well because they’re angry with the world, It makes the process a joke”.

If that wasn’t prime Amami, Itsuki didn’t know what was. That man was just in it for the thrill of facing up against other people like him who were in it to play. Winning was still his main focus, but if it wasn’t going to be a good victory, then it wasn’t unheard of for him to give up a win just to duke it out. When he could tell his opponent wasn’t taking things seriously, or was just interested in playing for a personal agenda, Amami didn’t take it well. 

Itsuki didn’t have any time to dwell on it, as he soon found himself being called up to the plate. He faced down Velasquez like he had the last inning, but this time he met his gaze evenly, not letting any emotion through. Velasquez apparently didn’t like that, as he threw a knuckleball first, giving it only one spin before it sailed at him full speed. What Velasquez didn’t know was that Itsuki had no intention of hitting that pitch too far. He wanted to hit it right between him and first base. Let that little fucker run.

And run he did. Itsuki managed to make it to first before Velasquez or the first baseman could get to the ball, giving Brooklyn a chance to hit. Hit he did not, but he fouled enough balls that Velasquez was beginning to tire out even without having to chase anything. Funnily enough, they didn’t have a hard time hitting the ball when their main objective wasn’t to get points. He might have to see if he could utilize that in a strategy later on. 

After another four batters went up against Velasquez, he had only given up two points; which honestly wasn’t bad score-wise. It wasn’t good for his mental or physical state though. Velasquez was looking less heated and more pissed off by the minute. It was surprising that Coach Shirooka hadn’t pulled him off the mound by now. Maybe they were testing him, or they could be waiting for something. Either way, It wasn’t going well for the pitcher.

At the top of the eighth, Toa looked over at Itsuki, and jerked his head to the side, indicating that Itsuki should get his ass over there.

“He certainly is crumbling”, Toa said when Itsuki made his way over. 

“Yeah, it’s going pretty well”, Itsuki said.

“Are you ready to end this?”, Toa asked, a hint of mirth crossing his face.

“How so?”, Itsuki asked.

“I was actually about to ask your opinion on that”, Toa said, looking at him. “You’re the one actually going up against him. I figured you might have some input”.

Itsuki had to smile at him. He wasn’t usually a sucker for flattery, but this probably wasn’t flattery. At that moment he honestly believed that Toa wanted his input.

“Go ahead, I’ll let you know what I think”, Itsuki said.

“How much do you think he’s hurting right now?”. Toa asked.

“I know he’s sore”, Itsuki said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that collision with Rodrigo hadn’t bruised some ribs or damaged some tendons. That’s not something you can usually walk away from, professional or not”.

“Go on”, Toa prompted. 

“Anyway”, Itsuki continued, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s pretty hurt by this point. When you’ve been pro for awhile, you know your limits better, and you can determine how bad you are when you’re hurting. If it’s too bad, you can have yourself taken out of the game, but if it’s bearable, then you can work past the pain. They don’t teach you that in high school or college baseball. They determine your limits for you there. It’s something you have to learn on your own and I doubt he has that skill yet”.

“Thanks for letting me know”, Toa said. It looked like he was about to continue, but Itsuki interrupted him.

“He’s making his Shirooka keep him in the game, there’s no doubt about that”, Itsuki said. “Before you ask how I know, think about how they’re acting over there”, Itsuki said as he gestured over to the other dugout, where a few people, Coach Shirooka included were standing stone still front and center.

“Usually he’s on his laptop or talking to someone else”, Itsuki said. “He’s obviously either waiting for something or watching something. I’m going to put my money on the latter. And you know how careful I am at placing my bets”.

“That tells me all I need to know, then”, Toa said, features not betraying anything. “Tell me, do you think Shirooka could be useful in keeping Velasquez off the field for a while?”

“Huh?”, Itsuki asked, eloquent as ever.

“You understand that we can’t leave this like it is, right?”, Toa asked him pointedly. “If we end the game like this, we will win for now, but do you really think that he won’t harbor any anger at us for this? He knows what we’re doing, and I can tell he hates us for it. There’s not much he can do at the moment. What about when he’s healed though? He’ll be even more motivated to take out whatever angst he has out on us in the future. He’ll have more training and experience between now and then”.

“You want to leave him with something that’ll really mess him up”, Itsuki observed, feeling his blood suddenly go from very hot to very cold. It wasn’t enough for Toa to screw with the guy for one day. No, he wanted to leave him with some serious damage. That was honestly a little scary to Itsuki. It made sense, but it was still scary.

“Exactly”, Toa affirmed. “And we’re going to do it in such a way that we implicate Shirooka as the source”.

“To mitigate any future grudge he might have towards us”, Itsuki said.

“And to sow the seeds of discontent in his team”, Toa said, smiling again. “With this, we might even be able to use Velasquez to our advantage in the future”.

“It sounds like you’ve made up your mind, then”, Itsuki said.

“I believe I have. Thanks for your input”, Toa said, summarily dismissing him.

Itsuki went back to his seat on the bench while he waited for Yamakawa to strike out. 

“Scheming again, aren’t you?”, Amami asked from beside him.

“Yeah, and?”, Itsuki asked. He knew that Amami didn’t always approve of trickery, but he never blatantly opposed him. He would have to be crazy to, due to how much it benefitted him.

“It looks like you’re having fun again”, Amami said.

“Again?”, Itsuki asked, a little confused. “I think I always have fun”.

“Not always. You might tell yourself that, but it isn’t true”, Amami said, not clarifying at all. Itsuki stared at him until he spoke up again.

“It started after the trade last season. You were more stressed out and more desperate then. It started carrying over to your personal life. Don’t even bother denying it”, Amami said when Itsuki was about to interrupt him. “You spent the first month or so of this season stressing over tension with the team, losing more often than not, and integrating Tokuchi into the team. It seems like you’re finally getting past all that”, Amami said, apparently finished.

“Huh”, Itsuki said, not quite knowing how to respond. Knowing Amami, he didn’t expect a response. 

Now that Amami mentioned it, Itsuki could see where he was coming from. He had definitely loosened up since last season. He could also feel like he was having more fun with fewer strings involved. That still didn’t mean that he appreciated being called out like that. Amami should be one to talk, what with his methods of having fun through adopting people as rivals without their knowledge or consent. 

Itsuki watched Yamakawa finally strike out, picked up his glove, and headed back out onto the field. It was the top of the ninth. They would only have to fend off the Bugaboos for another half of an inning. Kawanaka was up to pitch, so things were looking pretty good for them. Then Toa could put whatever plan he had into motion and they could get out of there.

Thankfully, Kawanaka did what he was told for once, and struck out each consecutive batter with only two unfair balls thrown. Itsuki went back to the dugout and waited to see what Toa was going to pull. He was having to wait for much longer than he anticipated, and he was struck out after fouling three balls. Hopefully, Brooklyn would be the one that ended it. They were already winning by three points, and they had nothing to lose by ending the game sooner rather than later.

“Check it out”, Thomas said, pointing to Brooklyn’s stance. He was going for a safety bunt. Itsuki wrinkled his nose at the stupidity of his action before he saw Coach Imawano giving him a sign to bunt. That must have been a part of Tokuchi’s plan, then. Looking over at Velasquez, he too seemed perplexed at Brooklyn’s strange strategy. 

Velasquez pitched another knuckle ball, probably wanting to end this fast and save himself from any more embarrassment. Save himself he did not, as Brooklyn bunted the ball off the tip of the bat, sending it rolling towards Velasquez from the right. Velasquez made a valiant attempt to save it, but crumpled to the ground when he twisted his upper body to dive at it. Itsuki could almost feel the shot of pain that was no doubt working its way through his system. He was mentally and physically exhausted on top of his injury. No doubt about why he wasn’t getting back up.

Shortly after that, Coach Shirooka had stormed the field, heading straight for Velasquez. It was rare that one of his players was injured and he didn’t even acknowledge the other player that had a hand in his injury. By the way he was acting, Itsuki could see that Toa had been right. He had been forcing Shirooka to keep him in the game. That didn’t bode well, especially when it resulted in him getting injured. 

Velasquez was unceremoniously taken out of the game, apparently still against his will. He could still hear Coach Shirooka yelling at him, and he had never heard Coach Shirooka yell. Toa had probably accomplished what he had wanted to. Velasquez would no doubt be kept out of games for the foreseeable future, and his relationship with his coach was no doubt injured as well. They had both worked together for this, and Itsuki could honestly say that unlike in previous years, he didn’t feel a shred of guilt for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that I'm coming up on the end of the semester, updates may be a bit more sporadic. I hope you enjoy!


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

After their game against the Bugaboos came to a close, Itsuki changed quickly and headed outside to the parking lot. He had just come from the field, but he could still use the fresh air. That had been an intense game, and he needed to clear his head, even just a bit. They were lucky enough to have a couple of days off, and he fully intended to take full advantage of that. 

As he walked towards his car, he spotted Toa two spots down leaning against his own car finishing a cigarette. After a moment, Toa looked up and made eye contact with him, nodding at him as if to acknowledge his presence. Itsuki didn’t even hesitate this time when he approached Toa.

“Hey”, he said, “That was a good game today, probably the best we’ve had so far”.

“I’d have to agree with you there”, Toa said, dropping his cigarette and grinding it out with his heel.

“What are you doing with your days off?”, Itsuki asked.

“Not sure”, Toa said. “Imawano said that he doesn’t want me working for a couple of days, even from home. He’s either impressed with me, or he just wants to get rid of me for awhile”.

“Probably both”, Itsuki said, snorting. “You really have a way with people”.

“I really do”, Toa said, looking up at the evening sky. Itsuki looked up with him. The sunset was coloring the darkening sky with misty oranges and pinks. It was going to be summer soon. Itsuki would miss the cool spring weather, but summer could be nice, too.

“We could hang out”, Itsuki finally said, not looking down from the sky.

“When?”, Toa asked, leaning against his car.

“I don’t know”, Itsuki said. “You could come over tonight since I stayed at your place last time. We could see where it takes us”.

Toa finally looked down at him. “What are you implying?”, he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m not implying anything”, Itsuki said. “I had fun with you today, in a way I haven’t in a long time. Why stop now?”

Toa looked at him for a moment, studying him. “Alright”, he finally said. “Should I stop by my place and grab anything?” 

“Probably”, Itsuki said as he walked over to his own car. “Who knows when I’ll be done with you”. 

With that being said, he got into his car, put it in gear, and drove off. When he looked in his rearview mirror, he saw that Toa was still frozen in place where he’d left him. Maybe he was a warm-blooded human being after all. 

Toa could honestly say that he didn't really know what to think about Itsuki at the moment. He had enjoyed working with him during the game, and he did value his input quite a bit. He hadn't steered him terribly wrong yet. He also couldn't complain about the other aspect of their ‘friendship’. Things were going well for him, and he just didn't know how to take it. 

He didn't have a lot of time to ponder that, however, as Ituski would be expecting him, and he hadn't even begun to decide what he should bring. Itsuki had basically told him that he anticipated him spending the night, so he should probably pack the essentials. Toa snorted at his indecision and threw his toothbrush, a pair of comfortable pajama pants with a t shirt, and a change of clothes into a small bag. By nature, he wasn't an indecisive person, so when the occasion struck, he usually felt pretty discombobulated, no matter how minor the issue. He really needed to get past that. 

The ride over was uneventful, as was the elevator ride up to Itsuki’s floor. He had to appreciate that Itsuki did have good taste in apartments, his choice of car notwithstanding. When he finally made it to his front door, Itsuki didn’t waste any time answering.

“Hey”, Itsuki said, stepping aside to let Toa in. “How was the drive over?”

“Decent”, Toa replied, looking around. The last couple of times he had visited, he hadn’t really bothered to take in his surroundings. Itsuki’s apartment was pretty plain, but the hardwood floors and the good view of the city skyline made up for it. He took his shoes off, then walked into the living room area. 

“Alright, then”, Itsuki said, leaning up against his sofa. They looked at each other for a moment before Itsuki spoke again.

“We work well together, you know?”, Itsuki said, relaxing a bit. “I think we made a good team”.

“I’m glad you thought so”, Toa said, being sincere for once. They both fell silent, but before it could get too awkward, Itsuki approached Toa and pushed his bag off his shoulder before sliding his hands down to his hips and drawing him in close. Toa didn’t resist him, letting himself be pulled close against Itsuki’s body. Toa rested his arms on Itsuki’s shoulders, and looked him straight on. 

“What do you have in mind?”, he asked. 

“I want to take my time with you”, Itsuki said softly, resting his forehead against Toa’s. 

Toa allowed him the contact, but froze in place when he felt Itsuki unbuckle his belt and unbutton his pants. 

“I thought you wanted to take your time?”, Toa asked, smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

“I am”, Isuki said, grinning back at him. “Who says I have to do it fully clothed?”

“I guess I can't argue with that logic”, Toa said as Itsuki pulled his shirt off. 

Determined not to be the least clothed person in the room, Toa busied himself unbuttoning Itsuki’s shirt. As he reached the final button, Itsuki shrugged it off without protest. Toa began to undo Itsuki’s jeans, but his hands were quickly knocked away. Before Toa could do anything else, he found himself being gently pushed towards the direction of Itsuki’s bedroom. Toa didn't protest, figuring they would be better able to get at each other on a horizontal surface. 

“Anything you don't want to do right now?”, Itsuki asked softly when they crossed the threshold of his bedroom. 

“Nothing that comes to mind”, Toa said. “If it does, I'll let you know. What about you?”

“Nothing”, Itsuki said, gazing at him. 

“I guess that clears that up then”, Toa said, leaning in to kiss Itsuki. 

They grazed their lips together for a moment before Toa pulled close, pressing his mouth firmly against Itsuki’s. Itsuki gasped briefly, then leaned in further, opening his mouth slightly. Toa grabbed Itsuki’s wrist, using it as leverage to drag him closer. He could feel Itsuki smile against his lips, motivating him to take it farther. When Itsuki opened his mouth slightly, Toa captured his lower lip gently between his teeth for a moment, before releasing it.

Itsuki moaned quietly in response, breaking the hold Toa had on his wrists, grabbing his in return. He pulled away and looked at Toa with palpable desire in his eyes. Slowly, he walked Toa backwards towards the bed until he planted his hands firmly against Toa’s chest. Toa was confused for all of one second before Itsuki shoved Toa back with surprising force, causing him to bounce when he hit the bed, giving a surprised grunt in response. 

Toa looked back at Itsuki, but was totally unable to feign his usual look of disinterest. This was one aspect of their friendship where Itsuki was beginning to get the upper hand. Toa would have to do something about that later, but for the moment he was content to let Itsuki think he was winning. Itsuki crawled onto the bed after Toa, stopping when he was almost straddling him. 

Itsuki looked over him for a minute before he gripped the waistband of Toa’s pants and gave them a good yank. Toa caught on fast, lifting his hips a bit to let Itsuki pull down his pants and underwear all in one go. He let Itsuki appreciate him for a few seconds before he yanked Itsuki down beside him, quickly reversing their positions. He made fast work of Itsuki’s pants.

“Really?”, Itsuki asked, raising an eyebrow. “There's nothing wrong with being the least clothed person in the room, you know. It can be fun”.

“Maybe it can be, but not right now”, Toa said, looking over his body. 

Itsuki flushed a bit at the attention, but he didn't seem to be phased, as he moved to sit across from him, splaying his hands out across Toa’s stomach. Toa anticipated Itsuki shoving him over backwards this time, but when it came to raw physical strength, Itsuki won out, sending Toa over backwards. Before Toa could react, he saw Itsuki move forward and dip his head down to his lower stomach. Toa froze in place, anticipating Itsuki’s next move. 

He could feel Itsuki breathing softly against his skin as he moved downwards. Toa looked up at the ceiling, waiting for Itsuki to act. When Itsuki suddenly grabbed his thighs and pulled them apart, Toa jerked a bit, but not hard enough to break Itsuki’s grasp on him. Before he could do anything else, he felt Itsuki lick one long wet strip on the underside of his dick. Toa gave a short gasp and stayed put. 

Itsuki apparently took this as encouragement, as he continued to lightly tease at him in between long broad strokes with his tongue. In the back of his mind, Toa noted that Itsuki seemed to mostly be concentrating towards the base of the shaft rather than the top. He didn't have the chance to contemplate that any further however, as Itsuki chose that moment to take Toa almost fully into his mouth. Toa grunted, and would have jerked a bit had Itsuki’s grip on his inner thighs allowed him to. Toa almost winced internally. That would almost certainly bruise later. 

Itsuki had apparently taken that as encouragement, as he began to bob his head at a faster pace, alternating between using his tongue and sucking. Toa could feel himself getting sloppy with Itsuki’s saliva, but refused to look down for fear of spending himself too early. Instead, he wove his fingers through Itsuki’s hair and guided him a bit to find the pace he preferred. Itsuki moaned appreciatively, most likely due to the hands in his hair. 

Itsuki continued like that for what was probably a few minutes, but what felt like forever before Toa finally pulled Itsuki off as he felt himself getting too close. He absolutely could not end this too early. Itsuki finally pulled himself up, holding himself above Toa at eye level, holding his gaze with glazed blue eyes. 

“Well?”, he asked coyly, letting his hair fall in Toa’s face. 

“Yeah”, Toa said in response, realizing belatedly that it probably was the wrong response in that situation. It wasn't surprising though, as his brain wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders at that moment. 

Itsuki seemed to get what he was going for, as he smiled at him a bit before turning his head a bit and leaning down to kiss him again. Toa let him, almost enjoying the earthy taste from his mouth and what it meant. Toa moved to pull back to give himself some air, but Itsuki caught him by his shoulders and held him in place. Toa couldn't help but snicker into the kiss, causing Itsuki to finally pull back. 

“What?”, he asked with a half smile. 

“”Nothing”, Toa responded, leaning back, propping himself up with his hands. “I just didn't expect you to be so desperate so early on”.

Itsuki actually had the gall to roll his eyes at him. “It's been weeks, you can't really blame me there”, he said, still trying to suppress a grin. “Don't even try to tell me you don’t want this like I do”.

Toa didn't respond to that. There really wasn't any way to respond that wouldn't prompt further conversation, which he would rather avoid at the moment. Verbally sparring with Itsuki could be fun, but not when there were better things they could be doing. Itsuki apparently took his silence the way he meant it, as he shifted closer to Toa, resting his hands on his thighs. 

“I guess that's enough stalling”, Itsuki said, quieter this time. 

With that being said, Itsuki put his hands on Toa’s shoulders again, but instead of pulling him close again, he used the leverage to push him down onto the mattress. Toa tensed up for a moment when Itsuki moved to get on top of him, but stopped himself from rolling them both over when he felt Itsuki’s dick brush his own. That was a new and welcome development. Itsuki, apparently sensing no hesitation from Toa, reached down and enveloped both of them in his hand, prompting Toa to release a stifled hiss in response. 

Itsuki had to admit that he had it pretty bad in that moment. He had Tokuchi Toa underneath him and at his mercy, and judging by the glazed look in his eyes, he was probably just as aroused as he was. His mind was already fogged over, probably from all the blood rushing south. Itsuki was still marveling at the intimacy of the situation when he heard Toa make a small noise. That broke any lingering reservations he had. 

Itsuki renewed his grip, and began to move against Toa, feeling his heart jump in his chest at the friction. Slowly, he began to move his hand rhythmically, keeping a steady pace. He watched Toa jerk and close his eyes after a particularly rough pass of his hand. He didn’t stay still for long though, as he tried to raise himself up onto his forearms, probably for more leverage to attempt something. Itsuki however, was having none of that. He had Toa right where he wanted him, and there he would stay. 

He let himself lean down onto Toa, effectively pinning him while arching his back a bit so he wouldn’t have to stop what he was doing.

“I swear to god, Toa, If you try and move right now it’ll be the last thing you ever do”, he said roughly.

“Fuck-”, Toa started, but before he could presumably tell Itsuki what he could do to himself, Itsuki shut him up with a smooth thrust of his hips, adding more friction between them. 

Toa inhaled sharply, letting his head fall back. Itsuki couldn't help but snicker, but Toa didn’t seem to care, as he began moving his hips up to meet Itsuki’s. Itsuki buried his face in Toa’s neck, and let the last of his control fall away. When he felt Toa reach around him with one arm and dig his fingernails into his back, he felt his mind go blank, leaving only a haze of need behind. He quickly lost the rhythm he had built up, pumping them both with frenzied strokes that didn’t bode well for his stamina.

Toa came first, tensing up and letting out a stifled gasp. Itsuki felt him arch against him, relishing the skin to skin contact. Finally, Toa relaxed underneath him, looking exhausted. Itsuki wasn't far behind him, moaning as he came across Toa’s stomach, burying his face in his neck once more so Toa couldn't see the clear desperation that no doubt marred his features. Itsuki collapsed on top of Toa, lying there for a good minute or two until Toa finally shoved him off to the side, probably needing to breathe. 

“Huh.”, Itsuki said, still a little breathless.

“Mm”, Toa responded, not sounding much better than Itsuki.

They both laid there for an indeterminate amount of time, just breathing and staring up at the ceiling. Itsuki would normally feel a little embarrassed at his exhaustion, but with the game he had just played, he probably had a good enough excuse. Finally, after the glow had subsided and the room began to cool down, Itsuki finally stirred, feeling the need to go clean up. When he got back, Toa was sitting up, still looking a little dazed. Itsuki quirked a smile, then threw a damp washcloth at him, wanting to see how out of it he really was.

No luck though. Instead of catching it, Toa swatted it away without really looking. It seemed to wake him up a bit though, as he reached for it when he realized what it was.

“You’re more of an asshole than you like to admit, you know”, Toa said, wiping his stomach off. In any other situation, Itsuki might have been offended, but he figured that Toa was just testing the waters. It had gotten a little intense there, after all.

“Probably”, Itsuki responded good naturedly. 

They sat there in amicable silence for a few seconds until Toa suddenly stood up. “I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty much gone for the night”, Toa said, walking out into the living room where he’d left his bag. Itsuki watched him through the door as he collected it and headed into the bathroom, emerging a few minutes later wearing a comfortable-looking pair of pants and a T shirt.

“Are you going modest on me?”, Itsuki asked, grinning despite the sudden onset of sleepiness that rose up to overtake him. 

“No”, Toa said, sounding as tired as Itsuki felt. “I just don’t see the appeal of going around naked”.

“Like I said, modest”, Itsuki said, sliding under the sheets, feeling the bed dip to his left indicating that Toa was doing the same. He slid his foot over experimentally to see just how close Toa was going to be sleeping to him, only to have it kicked away.

“Don’t even try it”, Toa mumbled.

Itsuki sighed in defeat, rolled over, and willed himself to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I noticed that I accidentally left out some of chapter seventeen at the end. I fixed it, so feel free to go check out the complete version!


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

Toa woke up the next morning feeling better rested than he had felt all month. He opened his eyes slowly, squinting a bit into the sunlight that beamed directly through the windows. Judging by that, he hadn't slept in by too much. He laid still for a while, listening to Itsuki breathe slowly behind him. It figured that he wouldn't be an early riser on his own; he probably had the circadian rhythm of a teenager. 

After a good ten minutes, Toa was alert enough to get bored lying in bed. He got up slowly, not really wanting to disturb Itsuki quite yet. He didn't mind having a moment of alone time to unpack the events that had led up to that moment. He walked out of the bedroom and into the main room of the apartment, which was well lit by the rising sun. He wandered over into the living room and took a seat on the sofa, relaxing his back against the armrest and stretching his legs out. 

Itsuki had dominated him last night, that wasn't up for debate. Toa wasn't opposed to it; he had been with others who were more on the dominant side, even if they didn't top. Those times had been drastically different, though. He was definitely in a much more precarious situation now. 

He had given up control the second Itsuki had pushed. He hadn't even thought about it; it had almost been automatic. If it had been anybody else, he might have conceded, but he wouldn't have made it that easy. But it wasn't just the loss of control that was eating at Toa, as Itsuki’s dominance had ended the second he came. As much as he hated to a knowledge it, he had to admit that Takami Itsuki had gotten to him. 

He hadn't really had sex that felt that intimate before. Usually it was a rushed, heat of the moment kind of thing. This had felt much more personal for some reason. Why, Toa honestly couldn't say. It was probably a combination of the excitement of crushing the players of the other team into dust, along with the satisfaction of scheming with somebody who could actually keep up with him. 

Either way, he had been right when he anticipated Takami Itsuki being more dangerous than he expected when he lost the bet. What was even more disturbing was that he wasn’t losing his edge like he had the previous season. Towards the end of his time with the Lycaons, he had been getting softer, more comfortable with his position. With his new job, he felt comfortable in a way that clicked for him. Instead of feeling muted or complacent, he felt more challenged and on edge than he had felt since he left Okinawa.

For almost anybody else, that might be reassuring. For Toa, it made him feel l like something was hanging over his head. Nothing had ever worked out like this for him before, so naturally, new risks came with the new territory he had to be on the lookout for. It was easy to get over his burgeoning complacency on the Lycaons; he just had to leave and work to hone himself again. On the Mariners, however, he was just as sharp as ever, leading him to believe there was probably some even bigger detriment to the situation.

He could have ruminated more, but soft footsteps interrupted his thoughts. Looking over, he saw Itsuki had deigned to put on clothes for once. How he could sleep naked comfortably, Toa would never know.

“Up already?”, Itsuki asked him, walking over.

“Mhm”, Toa responded, moving his feet closer to make room for Itsuki.

“Hungry?”, Itsuki asked, already sounding way too alert for someone who just woke up.

“Not yet”, Toa said. He usually wasn’t hungry for awhile after he woke up, unless he had slept in too late.

“That’s fine”, Itsuki said, turning to put his feet up on the sofa, mirroring Toa’s position. They sat quietly for a few minutes before Itsuki broke the silence.

“What do you have planned today?”, Itsuki asked.

“Not too much”, Toa said. “I might go to a casino or something”.

“It’s gotten to the point where you don’t know what to do with yourself when you have free time, hasn’t it?”, Itsuki said, smiling a bit.

“I doubt that’s it”, Toa said, not entirely meaning it. He was definitely putting in more effort and longer hours with this position than he had in the past.

“From what Kojima’s told me, I think I’m probably right”, Itsuki said, sliding down into a more comfortable looking position.

“You’ve been talking to Kojima?”, Toa asked, letting the slightest hint of irritation creep into his voice. He couldn’t tamp down on the annoyance he felt hearing that Itsuki had been talking to a man who was basically public enemy number one.

“Not recently, no”, Itsuki said, raising a hand in a hint of a defensive gesture. “We had a long conversation when you up and disappeared on him. It wasn’t anything personal really, we were just venting”.

“Sharing stories about what an asshole I am?”, Toa asked, lightening up a bit.

“Basically, yeah”, Itsuki said, shrugging. “He didn’t really frame it that way, but I can read between the lines pretty well. Why? Do you want to hear what he said?”

“No, I can pretty much guess”, Toa said, wanting to move the conversation away from Kojima.

“He really did admire you, you know”, Itsuki continued, either not knowing or not caring that Toa had signalled the end to the discussion. 

“Hm”, was all that he got out of Toa.

“You want to hear something funny, actually?”, Itsuki asked, getting a look on his face that Toa didn’t like.

“Do I want to know?”, Toa asked, narrowing his eyes a bit.

“Absolutely not”, Itsuki said smugly. “But I’ll tell you anyway. There was actually a betting pool last season on whether you two were together”.

Toa let his mask crack, shatter, and fall.

“Oh dear god, you’re sick”, he said, outwardly cringing. “Did anybody seriously think that, or was it some kind of joke?”

“Oh, it was absolutely serious”, Itsuki said, sounding a bit more gleeful than the situation warranted. “I guess a lot of people saw that he was really the only one you took somewhat seriously, and went off that”.

“Yeah, because he’s literally the only person on the team that had any idea of what he was doing”, Toa said, feeling a bit like he had been slapped in the face.

“See, you say that, but it’s not really helping your case”, Itsuki said, still smiling.

“I hope you’re kidding right now”, Toa said, trying to wind himself down. He had never been one to care about what others thought of him, but this was just too much. To think that for the past few months he had been working with people who thought he had been with Kojima- in any sense of the word. He could suddenly justify their treatment of him a lot more. He would been much harsher had he been in their position.

“Why does it bother you that much?” Itsuki asked. “He’s accomplished, famous, wealthy, even good looking if you ask the right person”.

“So is Tsutsumishida, according to all the old women swarming around publicity events, but that doesn’t make him a rational candidate”, Toa shot back.

“That might be so, but you never called him back into the dugout to wrap his arm so he wouldn’t get hurt”, Itsuki retorted.

“That wasn’t the real reason, and you know it”, Toa said, trying to school his face into a mask of indifference. 

“Yeah, I know it”, Itsuki said, hopefully letting it go. “He never gave off those vibes. Fujita however…”

“That’s enough”, Toa said, wanting to shut that down fast. “If those guys on the Lycaons were the last people on earth, I would live a chaste and celibate life”.

“I can’t really imagine you doing that, but fair point”, Itsuki said, finally wiping the shit eating grin off his face. “Well, I don’t know about you, but after all this talk about how horrifying and grotesque Kojima is, I’m starving”, Itsuki said, standing up and walking over to the kitchen area.

“Suit yourself”, Toa said, not bothering to get up. He watched as Itsuki set to making breakfast with whatever he had rummaged from the fridge.

“By the way”, Toa said, catching Itsuki’s attention, “Since Kojima no doubt told you all he knows about me, I’ll tell you something interesting about him”.

“Oh?”, Itsuki asked, sounding curious. 

“The man irons his jeans”, Toa said glancing over the back of the sofa at him. “Every single pair he brings with him while he travels, just as soon as he unpacks his suitcase”. It wasn’t exactly the most damning thing he could say, but it definitely got a good reaction, as Itsuki burst out into laughter as he worked.

“Oh shit, I don’t know why, but I can actually imagine him doing it, too”, Itsuki said, laughing. “I bet he does it standing there in his old man boxers, too”.

“Worse”, Toa said grimly. “Once I walked in on him doing it exactly like that. I was so shocked I couldn’t move, like when you see a car accident or something. He actually just stood there and talked at me, wearing just his shirt and underwear, like there was nothing strange about it at all”.

Itsuki actually had to put his knife down when he heard that. Around his new fit of laughter, Itsuki managed to choke out “What did you do?”

Toa grimaced. “I finally got motor control back and walked out of the hotel room while he was still talking to me. I was going to tell him about something regarding the game against the Blue Mars the next day, but It was totally wiped from my mind. I still can’t remember what I was going to say. When I was outside, Ideguchi happened to be walking by, and I guess when he saw my face, he knew exactly what I’d seen. He pretty much said to never talk about it because it would hurt Kojima’s feelings, and that nobody would ever believe me”.

“Holy shit, it’s like a conspiracy”, Itsuki finally managed to get out. “It’s like some kind of cryptid sighting”.

“Basically”, Toa said. “If I have to live with that knowledge, then you do too, I guess”.

“That honestly made my morning”, Itsuki said, throwing whatever he was making into a skillet. “At first, I really didn’t believe you, but the part with Ideguchi sounds so like him that I really don’t have a choice, do I?”

“Now you see why I left”, Toa said dryly, standing up to see what Itsuki was working on.   
Once he got over, he saw that Itsuki could actually make a decent looking omelette. For a while, they sat eating in amiable silence. Toa was about halfway through his breakfast when Itsuki spoke.

“So what do you think so far?”, he asked, looking up at Toa across the table.

“About?”, Toa prompted.

“The season”, Itsuki clarified.

“Mm”, Toa muttered, putting his fork down. “It’s not as bad as I anticipated, but there’s still a long way to go”.

“Yeah?”, Itsuki said, taking another bite.

“The steps are coming together”, Toa started. “But it’s just a matter of herding everybody through them.”

“Like with the shame-board?”, Itsuki asked.

“Yeah”, Toa said. “With the shame-board, we can give everybody actual, concrete incentive to get better. If we’re just telling them vague things like ‘work together’ or ‘move on from the past’, they don’t really get the tools or guidance they need to actually do that, and they all just end up being bastards instead of actually improving”.

“That’s actually pretty wise of you”, Itsuki said. “So has the shame-board been effective in that?”

“You tell me”, Toa said, pausing to take another bite. “Did you notice that nobody got a demerit yesterday?”

“Actually, no”, Itsuki said, realization hitting him all at once. He had been too caught up in everything else to even think of it. “That’s a pretty good sign then, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, basically”, Toa said, pushing his now empty plate away. “Besides, who started calling it that in the first place?”

“Probably Thomas”, Itsuki said with a snicker.

“I can see that”, Toa said, standing up, grabbing both their plates and heading over to the sink.

“You don’t have to do that”, Itsuki said as Toa plugged the drain and began to fill the sink with water.

“It’s fine”, Toa said. “You cooked. It’s natural that I clean up”.

“I didn’t do that last time at your place”, Itsuki said as a last resort protest.

“Your lack of manners doesn’t extend to me”, Toa said flatly as he got to work scrubbing the skillet.

Itsuki huffed, but backed off and watched him while he worked. After he had set the last dish aside to dry, Toa felt Itsuki press close behind him, putting his hands on Toa’s hips. Toa paused for a brief moment, then rested his hands against the lip of the sink.

“What are you planning?”, he asked smoothly, feeling his skin prickle when Itsuki brushed his face against the side of his neck.

“What will you let me do?”, Itsuki responded, voice a bit lower than it had been five minutes ago.

“I’m sure we can negotiate”, Toa said, feeling Itsuki squeeze his hips as he spoke.

Toa let himself lean back against Itsuki, taking care to keep his breathing even. Itsuki slid his hands down Toa’s hips, taking his pajama pants and underwear down with them. Toa stepped out of them so he wouldn't inevitably trip over them later. Itsuki let his hands roam over Toa’s body; one hand under his shirt, the other on the sensitive junction between his hip and thigh. 

“I like having you like this”, Itsuki murmured against his ear. 

Toa finally moved one hand from where it rested, and fisted it in Itsuki's hair, tugging at it just enough to make it hurt. Itsuki didn't respond verbally; instead sinking the nails of his left hand deep into Toa’s hip, wrapping his right hand around the base of his dick. Toa hissed at the conflicting sensations, but didn't try to move away. Itsuki must have anticipated that, as he wrapped his left arm around Toa’s waist, pulling him flush up against himself. Toa could very clearly feel how invested Itsuki was in the situation. 

“It's not so bad having you like this either”, Toa responded, just nonchalant enough to keep some semblance of control. 

He could feel Itsuki move down to nip at the junction of his neck and shoulder when he finally began to move his hand around him. Toa couldn't help but cant his hips forward, relishing the contact. He kept his grip on Itsuki’s hair as a silent reminder that he wasn't going to submit outright. Itsuki gasped into his neck after he gave it a quick tug in response to a particularly rough pass of his hand. 

Toa felt his mind grow hazy as Itsuki picked up the pace enough that Toa couldn’t think of any barbs or quips to needle him with. He felt Itsuki open his mouth against the sensitive skin of his neck, but he honestly didn't care what he was doing that far north at that point. Itsuki kept the pace up for a good amount of time, and Toa couldn't help but appreciate his stamina. The other people he had been with hadn't had the muscle strength or tenacity to keep the pace for nearly as long as he needed. 

After some indeterminate amount of time, Toa finally felt the building tension of his climax coming upon him. He bit back a moan as he came in Itsuki’s hand, feeling his knees go completely weak below him. Thankfully, Itsuki’s hold on him kept him from basically collapsing. Toa stood still, riding out the waves of his orgasm. After a moment, Toa felt Itsuki squeeze him particularly close around his waist and grind into him hard, cursing into his neck. 

If Toa was standing still before, he was now frozen in place. He had been so far out of it that he hadn't noticed that Itsuki was getting off on him the entire time. He wasn't usually nearly that unobservant, but he had been very distracted. Toa jerked a bit as he came back to rights, but Itsuki was still leaning over on him, boxing him in against the counter. Toa didn't push him away, instead listening to him trying to catch his breath. 

After a couple of minutes, Itsuki pulled away, shaking a bit. 

“How long were you planning that?”, Toa asked, his voice a bit less steady than he'd like.

“About thirty seconds”, Itsuki replied a little sheepishly as he gently bumped Toa aside so he could rinse his hand off in the sink. 

“It's good you thought to plan so far in advance”, Toa said, collapsing on one of the chairs at the kitchen table. 

Itsuki leaned against the counter, gazing over at him. 

“I don't know about you, but I think I need to clean up”, he said, pushing himself away from the counter and towards the bathroom. 

“I'll probably take you up on that after you”, Toa said, trying to find the will to do anything.

“Or we could save some water”, Itsuki said, jerking his head towards the door.


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

Toa stood up with a soft groan, figuring he'd humor Itsuki. He did feel pretty gross after the events of the previous night and that morning, so a shower would definitely be welcome. Toa followed Itsuki into the bathroom, which was in a separate room from the toilet like a more traditional Japanese home. Toa could appreciate that. His own apartment barely had enough room for a functioning shower, let alone a bathtub. 

“Get started without me”, Toa said, heading back into the bedroom to grab his change of clothes. He figured that Itsuki was the kind of guy that would take a bath right after showering, regardless of the time of day, so he would probably join him there. He knew from an awkward experience during his teenage years that two people shouldn’t shower at the same time. True to his prediction, he heard Itsuki turn on the water for the bathtub before he turned on the water for the shower. After a few minutes, he figured it was safe to go in.

Upon his entering, Itsuki finished rinsing his hair, and moved out of the way so Toa could get to the handheld shower. 

“Knock yourself out”, Itsuki said, tying his hair up as he got into the bathtub, sliding down low enough that he was submerged up to his nose. 

Toa looked over at Itsuki, who was staring at him coyly, before he started undressing. Toa ignored him, and instead set to cleaning himself up. He wasn’t usually too keen on others seeing him when he was in any state of vulnerability, but he figured that this could be a special exception, as he was so used to Itsuki’s presence at that point that him seeing Toa naked outside of sex honestly didn’t bother him. When he finished, he contemplated chucking his wet washcloth at Itsuki as retribution for the night before, but decided against it, figuring it wasn’t worth the effort.

After he slid into the water on the side opposite Itsuki, they sat in silence for a good long while, enjoying the relaxing effect the heat had on their sore muscles. After the silence was beginning to be too much, Itsuki began to speak.

“I have a question”, he began, looking at Toa as if he was asking for permission to go on. Toa figured that he would ask anyway, so he nodded his head slightly in assent. “So do you kiss all your friends like that?”, he asked, sounding curious.

“Only the ones I sleep with”, Toa responded plainly.

“I actually never would have thought you were the kissing type”, Itsuki said casually.

Toa shrugged. “You’re not the first”, he said. “It’s honestly not that emotional a thing for me like it seems to be for other people”.

“Huh”, Itsuki said, sounding satisfied with his answer. “So why do you do it then, if not for the emotional implications?”

“It’s fun”, Toa answered nonchalantly. “It’s a good way to get physically closer to somebody. It gives me something to do while my hands are busy. It makes things less awkward because there’s less eye contact. It’s honestly not that deep”.

“Ah, that makes sense, then”, Itsuki said, stretching out a bit.

Toa ignored Itsuki’s feet as they pressed against his hip, instead stretching his own legs into Itsuki’s personal space.

“Does everything have to be a competition or fight for control with you?”, Itsuki asked lightheartedly enough to let Toa know he wasn’t annoyed with him.

“Not everything, but you have to admit that life is more interesting when competition is involved”, Toa said plainly.

“Well, yeah”, Itsuki said. “I totally get that. Believe me, I do. But doesn’t it get exhausting after awhile?”

“Not really”, Toa said honestly. “It certainly makes things more interesting. I’ve never been the type to take the easier, more laid-back path, so life probably wouldn’t be as satisfying if there wasn’t any competition or stakes involved”.

“It makes you feel alive”, Itsuki said, flashing a small smile.

“You could put it that way, I guess”, Toa said, sliding down into the water a bit more. “I wouldn’t say it’s that simple, but stated plainly, it makes sense”. Toa gazed over at Itsuki, who had begun to flush, probably from the heat of the water. “So, what makes you feel alive?”, he asked, trying to quash the feeling that he was getting too personal. He’s had Itsuki’s dick in his mouth at one point. What was more personal than that?

Itsuki exhaled slowly, tilting his head slightly at Toa. “A lot of things, really”, he began. “I like solving problems and making things happen. The harder the problem, the better. I also like competition, and crushing opponents that challenge me. I also like being close to other people and connecting on a personal level”.

Toa contemplated that for a moment. “From what I know about you, that sounds just about right”, he finally said. “In some ways, I think we’re a lot alike. We just have different methods of getting what we want”.

“I’ll take that as a compliment, then”, Itsuki said, not missing a beat. Toa let himself smile for a moment before he leaned back and closed his eyes, letting himself relax.

After some time, Toa finally had enough of the heat, and got out of the bathtub in one fluid motion, making Itsuki jump a bit at the sudden movement. “Done?”, he asked.

“Yeah”, Toa said, drying himself off.

Itsuki sighed and stood up, leaning over to pop the drain open. Toa pulled a pair of comfortable jeans and a t shirt on, then left Itsuki to get himself dressed.

Itsuki was having some conflicting feelings. Toa was at his apartment, and he seemed right at home there. He hadn’t made any indication that this was just another one night stand kind of thing, or that he was just coming to get what he wanted from Itsuki before taking off. At the same time, Toa was giving out mixed signals; letting Itsuki paw at him one moment, teasing him the next. Toa had never allowed him to get close before, either physically or intimately; he felt like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Itsuki rushed through drying off, ignoring his blowdryer in favor of towling his hair off quickly. It didn’t make any sense, but it felt like Toa was going to duck out while he was busy, and he didn’t want to come out into an empty apartment suddenly. He didn’t have to worry however, as Toa was just finishing up packing his bag when he emerged. 

“Leaving already?”, Itsuki asked.

“I don’t know, did you have anything else in mind?”, Toa asked, zipping his bag up.

“The Fingers are having an early game against the Lycaons today”, Itsuki said, leaning against the wall. “Want to watch it?”

“Why would I want to watch the Fingers be obliterated in real time?”, Toa asked, leaning against the hand he had placed on Itsuki’s dresser. “I can watch the highlights of the game in better detail in the coach’s lounge later”.

“Yeah, but who will make fun of them with you while you watch?”, Itsuki asked, grin spreading over his features.

“Are you suggesting that we watch the game just to mock the idiots playing it?”, Toa asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I am”, Itsuki said, shrugging one shoulder.

“Okay, I’m game”, Toa said, dropping his bag. 

Itsuki turned and headed into the living room to turn the tv on, feeling a rush of victory. Toa apparently found him amusing enough to talk shit with. That was a pretty big compliment coming from him. When Itsuki turned the game on, he found that they hadn’t missed anything from the first few minutes. The Fingers were pitching first, but so far they were having a hard time of it. Saitou was getting destroyed, first by Fujita, then by Sugadaira of all people. 

Looking over, he saw Toa looking at the screen, looking bored. Itsuki felt a hint of nervousness in the pit of his stomach, but quashed it instantly. If Toa didn’t want to be there, he would have left already. Looking back to the screen, Itsuki watched as Kitaooji came up to the plate. He sat forward a little bit. The Lycaons had only just started using him in the past few days, so it would be interesting to see how well he functioned given the drastically different environment on the Lycaons.

“Watch him get beaned”, Toa said with an edge of mirth in his voice.

“Why would they do that?”, Itsuki asked, glancing over at him. “He wasn’t even on the team the last time the Lycaons played the Fingers. What would be their motivation?”

“They don’t have a grudge from his position on the Lycaons”, Toa said. “But remember the last few times we played them? He flipped his bat literally every time he got a hit off of Saitou. Not Ito or Kim. Just Saitou. That guy’s probably pretty annoyed with him right now”.

“Yeah”, Itsuki began, “But usually if they’d bean him, it would be during the game he pulled that shit in. He hasn’t done anything yet”.

“Yet”, Toa repeated. “He probably won’t hit him during this rotation, but I can pretty much guarantee you that if he does get a hit here and flip his bat, he’s going to get beaned”.

“We’ll see”, Itsuki said, snickering. Hopefully Saitou would be smart about it. Kitaooji had a bad habit of getting mad and rushing the mound when he was hit. Hopefully Saitou could either punch well or run fast.

Itsuki watched as Saitou got two strikes off of Kitaooji, only to have him hit long to the outfield, getting him onto second with no time to spare. He had flipped his bat on the way to first. Itsuki glanced over at Toa and shared a meaningful look. 

“Arai’s up next”, Toa observed. “He might get a hit, but he’ll look pathetic doing it”.

“His form’s already pathetic enough”, Itsuki said. “He looks like he has some kind of spinal injury from the way he hunches over. If I pulled that, I’d get a brushback pitch, and not an umpire in the world would be on my side”.

“He’s pathetic enough to warrant sympathy in that regard then”, Toa said as he was unceremoniously struck out after a couple of decent foul balls. “Just watch”, he continued. “Kojima’s going to talk to him, and he’ll probably remember that he’s supposed to hit the ball instead of swinging aimlessly at it”.

“It might take him some time to realize that”, Itsuki said as he watched Arai head back to the dugout, not looking upset at all about the strike out.

After Arai, the Lycaons got their groove back, getting four points off the Fingers by the end of the first half of the inning. With that, Takahashi was announced as he headed out to the mound, the Fingers’ Furiyama going up to the plate to face him. Takahashi stared him down, then pitched hard, making Furiyama swing and foul the ball. Kojima yelled something at him from the bench, but from the positioning of the camera’s microphone setup, Itsuki couldn’t hear what he had said.

“Did you catch that?”, he asked, looking over at Toa.

“He either said that was a sharp pitch, or that he’s a carp bitch”, Toa said with a straight face. “I’m not sure which one is accurate, though”.

“It’s a toss up”, Itsuki said, laughing a bit. 

They watched the next few innings with their own running commentary drowning out the commentators. Finally, at the top of the fifth, it was announced that Saitou was going to be on the mound again.

“This’ll probably be his last inning”, Itsuki said, noting how stiff his shoulder was looking.

“You know what that means”, Toa said.

“It won’t matter if he gets ejected for beaning Kitaooji”, Itsuki said, feeling a little bad that he was predicting the injury of one of his friends.

“Yeah”, Toa affirmed, looking a bit too excited for Itsuki’s taste.

After Fujita got on first, with Sugadaira getting struck out after him, Kitaooji was up to bat. Itsuki and Toa sat up in anticipation, waiting to see how bad Saitou’s judgement was that day. Kitaooji looked at the camera, and gave it a shit eating grin. That was a serious breach of etiquette right there. Saitou seemed to agree, as he pitched from the windup, his screwball hitting Kitaooji right on his helmet, sending him to the ground. 

Toa let out a loud, sharp laugh at that, drowning out Itsuki’s gasp of horror. He was thinking Saitou would go for Kitaooji’s leg or foot, nothing that extreme. He kicked at Toa in an attempt to quell his laughter, and it seemed to work, as Toa slapped a hand over his mouth, watching as Kitaooji sprang up and discarded his bat and helmet, looking a little unsteady. He seemed to pause for a moment before he went sprinting right at the mound with killing intent, causing Saitou to let out a fearful shout. Just as Kitaooji was on him, the fists started flying. 

Saitou, apparently having decided that he wasn’t a match for Kitaooji, turned to run away, making it all of five feet before being tackled. At that, Itsuki had to join Toa in his fit of laughter, as Saitou tried slapping at Kitaooji uselessly in an attempt to get him away. Withing moments, both dugouts had cleared, with players from the Lycaons and Fingers squaring up against each other, some posturing and cursing, with others attempting to peel Kitaooji off an increasingly bruised Saitou. Finally, both Kojima and Shirooka were out of their respective mounds, both arguing with the umpire as they tried to simultaneously order their players back into their respective dugouts. After a few minutes of deliberation, Saitou was ejected from the game.

“That was absolutely horrifying”, Itsuki said, trying to catch his breath.

“It was hilarious”, Toa said firmly, still catching his breath as well.

“Do you know what it feels like to be beaned?”, Itsuki asked him incredulously. “It seriously fucking hurts, you know”.

“I know exactly what it feels like to be beaned, actually”, Toa said, giving him a flat look.

“When were you beaned?”, Itsuki asked, trying to think of the few times Toa had been up to bat. Why his coach had thought that was a good idea, he’d never know.

“In our first games against the Blue Mars after the season started”, Toa said.

“I don’t remember that”, Itsuki said. “It didn't make sense to see your batting form back then, I guess. It wasn’t exactly relevant to me”.

“Not really”, Toa said. “That aside, you have to admit that was good”.

“I guess so”, Itsuki said shrugging. “Bench clearing brawls like that are a good way to clear up some aggression”. “Oh wait, shut up”, Itsuki said suddenly. “Kurai’s coming out to pitch now”. What came next was, for lack of a better term, an absolute beatdown. Only Mori managed to touch Kurai’s pitch, but even then, it was a fluke that turned into an embarrassingly easy to catch foul ball.

“There goes the last of Saitou's self confidence”, Itsuki said, watching Kurai pitch from the windup, striking out Furiyama without any difficulty. 

“He’s started to have that effect on people, hasn’t he?”, Toa observed, spreading out a bit.

“Yeah, I’ve noticed”, Itsuki said. “It seems like Amami and I are the only ones who haven’t gotten at least a little bummed out by his records”.

“Hm”, Toa muttered, letting the conversation drop into silence only interrupted by the noise coming from the game.

“So”, Toa said, breaking the momentary quiet. “Is there a betting pool on Amami and Kurai yet?”

“What?”, Itsuki asked, knitting his brow in momentary confusion.

“If there was a betting pool on something as asinine as Kojima and I on the barest hint of a lack of mutual hatred between us, you don’t honestly think that nobody has picked up on the vibes between them, do you?”.

“I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about”, Itsuki said, realization creeping into his mind.

“It kind of makes sense, doesn't it?”, Toa asked. “Think about it for a moment”.

Itsuki stared back at him, as if trying to figure out what he was getting at. After about a minute of contemplation, Itsuki finally snapped out of it.

“Well, shit”, he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Now that you mention it, it makes some sense”.

“Doesn’t it?”, Toa asked. 

“Yeah. The rivalry thing, the fixation on beating Kurai, and the level of respect kind of make sense for Amami, but I honestly don’t know anything about Kurai. I could see where Amami could possibly have a modicum of a thing for him, but where does Kurai stand?”

“Now that’s the interesting part”, Toa said. “Do you know anything about Kurai’s past before he got into the first string?”

“Yeah, a bit”, Itsuki said. “All that depressing stuff with the bullying, being looked down on by his coaches, and basically being an errand boy”.

“That pretty much sums it up”, Toa said. “Now think, who was the first person to take him seriously after all that?”

“That one old guy who yelled at him during the game he finally became useful?”, he asked. 

“Nope”, Toa said.

“You?”, he asked.

“Well, yeah”, Toa said. “I saw the potential there, but Amami saw it too”,

“When he yelled at him for being a bad pitcher”, Itsuki said.

“Exactly”, Toa said. “He told Kurai he expected more out of him, and when Kurai eventually delivered, Amami was sportsmanlike about it. Said he couldn’t wait until they faced off again”.

“You’re making too much sense”, Itsuki said, leaning back, game totally forgotten. “I don’t know how I didn’t catch it before”.

“You probably have things on your mind other than your teammates’ personal lives”, Toa said with a dismissive gesture. “I have to think way, way too much about those kinds of things in order to make the right judgements and plans regarding performance and teamwork”.

“What made you notice it specifically, then?”, Itsuki asked Toa, grinning. “Does it sound pretty familiar?”

“Why would-”, Toa started before cutting himself off. He glanced over at Itsuki with a frosty look. “I should have beaned you while I had the chance”, he said, wrinkling his nose.

“Butcha didn’t”, Itsuki said, returning Toa’s glare with a laugh. “Just admit it”, he said. “You’re throwing stones from a glass house, there”.

“Maybe you’ve taken too many beanballs to the head”, Toa said, turning back to the screen. 

They finished watching the game, with Itsuki hissing when the Lycaons won 14-6. It didn't bode well for the near future. Toa stretched next to him, but didn't make any indication of any intention to move. They watched the after game commentary for a few minutes until Itsuki had had enough of the guest commentator giving the Lycaons a verbal blowjob. 

“Wanna watch something more interesting?”, he asked, nudging Toa with his foot to grab his attention. 

“What could be more interesting than watching Kitaooji beat the shit out of some dumbass pitcher?”, Toa asked, slapping his hands away.


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

“I kind of want to see that game you were talking about. The one against the Blue Mars", he said. Toa scoffed at him. 

“I doubt you'd be able to find it. It happened almost a year ago. There's no way you'd be able to find it on tv, and I don't think you want to drive all the way back to the records offices to get a copy”, Toa said derisively. 

“You're right on all accounts”, Itsuki said as he got up and headed over to his VHS cabinet. “Unfortunately enough for you, I never turned in the copies I borrowed last year to reference for the machine”.

“Machine?”, Toa asked.

Itsuki froze in place. “Yeah”, he said trying to think fast. This really wasn't the time for Toa to find out about the Tokuchi Mock Pitching Machine. “Early on in the season, we tried to program one of our pitching machines to try to emulate your style. It didn't work out, though”. He wasn't exactly lying there; they really had tried to emulate Toa’s pitches with a basic machine. It hadn't been effective, though.

“Whatever you say”, Toa said, looking over at him with an expression that told him he really couldn't care less. 

“Anyway, when was it?”, Itsuki asked, looking at the dates on the tapes. Toa walked over, scanned his collection, and selected a couple of tapes. “These are the ones”, he said, looking down at Itsuki. “You know, I see dates here pretty late into the season. Were those for the machine or for personal use?”, he asked in a teasing tone as he headed over to the tv.

“At this point, does it honestly matter?”, Itsuki asked, sitting down on the couch.

“No”, Toa said, sitting down to join him as the second tape began to play. 

“Not going to start at the beginning?”, Itsuki asked.

“No, you've probably already seen that part”, Toa said. “You probably saw I was up to bat in this inning and skipped it”.

“Probably”, Itsuki said. 

They both sat in silence as the tape started up at the point in the game where Toa had stolen a base out from under Williams’s nose. 

“What happened there?”, Itsuki asked.

“He had the tampered ball at the time. He couldn't throw it to get me out unless he wanted to reveal his tricks”, Toa replied.

“Good move, then”, Itsuki said. 

Itsuki watched Williams work his way through the Lycaon's batting lineup as Toa continued to steal bases. 

“You look like you're having fun there”, Itsuki said, noting the looks of anger and disbelief from Sawamura when he was ruled safe after he rounded home. 

“It was pretty great, actually”, Toa said. 

“Was that the fake knuckleball there?”, Itsuki asked, pointing at the ball lying on the ground by the catcher’s foot. 

“Yeah”, Toa said. “The real one’s in his glove”.

Itsuki looked over, and noted the tension in Toa’s body and the irritable tone he had started to take. 

“You can smoke inside, you know”, Itsuki said, hoping he was right about the source of Toa’s noticeable agitation. “I don't smoke as much as I used to, but there should be an ashtray in the side table somewhere. Just open a window first”.

“Thanks”, Toa said, sounding relieved as he got up. Itsuki turned back to the screen to watch the disaster unfold. 

“How you made it that far running like two miles an hour, I will never know”, Itsuki said when Toa sat down after retrieving the ashtray and opening the window. 

“I didn't need to run faster”, Toa said, lighting up. 

“I'd have to disagree with you there. I've noticed that during your games, you tended to rely on your infielders a lot more than the other pitchers had to”, Itsuki pointed out. 

“It was good practice for them”, Toa countered.

“You wouldn't have been able to catch a good quarter of those balls without your basemen”, Itsuki said in a teasing tone. “Kawanaka would have been able to. Mizuhashi as well”.

“It's a good thing that they were able to avoid giving up runs for the first five months of their first seasons, isn't it?”, Toa asked, giving him a shove with his foot.

“Good point”, Itsuki said, acquiescing. “It’s just a thought”. 

“I'll be sure to keep that in mind for the next time I pitch on a major league baseball team”, Toa said, leaving his foot by Itsuki’s side. 

“You never know”, Itsuki said, shrugging innocently before swatting at Toa’s foot. Toa didn't acknowledge the abuse on his person, instead turning back to the tv. 

“We’re coming up on my next at-bat”, Toa said, indicating that Itsuki should start paying attention again. 

Itsuki watched Toa take the plate and ready his bat. 

“Why did Kojima let you go out there like that?”, Itsuki asked in disgust, pausing the game. He had seen Toa bat before, but he had forgotten how bad his stance was. “You got no training, did you?”

“First of all, Kojima never let me do anything”, Toa said. “Second, I've never gotten any training for baseball”.

“Are you serious?”, Itsuki asked. “I knew Kojima basically dragged you out of a gutter, but no training at all? Not as a kid? What about when when you joined the team?”

“No to all of those”, Toa said. “I’ve never played baseball aside from gambling, and that’s only tangentially related. As for training when I got here, there wasn’t much they could do. I can’t throw any breaking balls. Never could. It wouldn’t make much sense to train me then when I would be going up against batters who had been hitting them since middle school. As for training for batting, nobody anticipated my going up to bat. Pitchers like me usually use pinch hitters because there’s not a high likelihood of success there”.

“Still, though”, Itsuki said. “Kojima kind of failed you in that regard. He could probably teach an elementary school girl to-”, Itsuki started before he cut himself off right as Toa took a ball to the shoulder. “Holy shit”, Itsuki said, rewinding it to watch again. “He definitely got you”, he said, watching Toa pick himself up on screen, looking as nonchalant as ever.

“Yeah, he got me there”, Toa affirmed, taking a drag of his cigarette, sounding much more relaxed already.

“Huh. So did he strike you out after that?”, Itsuki asked, watching Minamishiba wind up for the next pitch.

“Something like that”, Toa said as the pitch was released, hitting Toa in the most delicate part of his ankle.

“What the fuck”, Itsuki said, pausing the game again. “At first, I thought it might have just been retaliation for the stunt you pulled earlier with the knuckleball, but they just hate you personally”, he said, looking over at Toa. “I almost feel sorry for you, watching that”.

“Almost?”, Toa asked.

“This wasn’t long after our first games against each other, so I still can’t help but feel like karma is involved somehow”, Itsuki explained. “Still, though. I’ve been hit by Minamishiba, and it hurt pretty bad. He only got me once, though. It would suck getting hit twice in such a short amount of time”.

“It definitely hurt”, Toa said. “But that just pissed me off more than anything”.

“I can see why”, Itsuki said, unpausing it to watch Toa get up again, slower this time. “Don’t tell me he beans you again”.

“He doesn’t”, Toa said right as the Toa on screen let go of his bat mid-swing, sending it careening towards the pitcher. Itsuki let out a disbelieving shout of laughter as Minamishiba dodged the bat, looking over at Toa with a horrified expression. 

“I’ve honestly dreamed of doing that”, Itsuki said, trying to stop himself from giggling. “It looks fun”.

“It definitely was”, Toa said, grinning wide. 

Itsuki would have commented on that, but he happened to glance at the tv right as Toa threw his bat at Minamishiba once more, nearly taking his head off that time. Itsuki could no longer contain his laughter, completely losing control when he saw Minamishiba look like he was about to cry.

“I take back what I said about your form earlier”, he said, trying to catch his breath. “That was perfect. Any less control, and you really would have hit him”.

“I appreciate it, but that’s not completely true”, Toa said with a half smile. “The first time, I wasn’t aiming at his head, that’s true. But I saw that he was going to bean me again on the next pitch, so I really was aiming at his head. I missed, obviously”.

“That’s a good thing, too”, Itsuki said, having finally calmed down. “They would probably have suspended and fined you for that”.

“Oh no, that would have been terrible”, Toa said in a completely flat affect. “It would have definitely taught me a lesson”.

“I never said it would”, Itsuki said, sighing. “It would definitely bother me, though”.

“Implying you wouldn’t have missed”, Toa said, raising an eyebrow at him.

“I wouldn’t have”, Itsuki said with absolute certainty. “I could absolutely take someone’s head off like that. I guess that’s the difference between a pro and a rookie”, he finished smugly.

“Funnily enough, that’s pretty much exactly what Kojima said right before I won fourth million yen off him”, Toa said.

“Hm?”, Itsuki started. “I thought you lost to Kojima. That’s why you went pro”.

“I did lose to Kojima”, Toa said. “That was the second time around, though. The first time, I won unequivocally. I lost to him when he challenged me to a rematch”.

“That honestly makes it worse”, Itsuki said, gazing over at Toa. “If word about that had gotten around, more people would have taken you seriously”.

“Which was the exact opposite of what I wanted”, Toa said. “If they thought I was good, they would have been more serious, and worked harder to beat me”.

“You would have probably been taken down earlier on”, Itsuki observed.

“I wouldn’t say that”, Toa said, exhaling smoke. “You took me pretty seriously from the get-go, and it still took you months to figure something out”.

Itsuki gazed over at Toa, watching him watch the game until Toa snapped to get Itsuki’s full attention. “This part’s pretty good”, He said, pointing at himself on screen where he was covering first base. Itsuki watched, waiting for something to happen. The batter, Hayashi, made a hit and went barreling at first base. Itsuki had a very bad feeling about that. His gut feeling seemed to be warranted, as he crashed right into Toa, sending them both sprawling, only for Toa to get back up again. He looked over at Toa incredulously, waiting for some kind of patronizing explanation.

“They just wanted to injure me badly”, Toa said calmly. “I saw it coming, so I was ready”.

“Horrifying”, Itsuki said, taking a deep breath and shaking himself. He wasn’t looking forward to manning third base in their upcoming games against the Blue Mars. “They basically did the same thing to Velasquez, didn’t they?”, Itsuki asked, thinking back to their previous games. 

“Yeah”, Toa responded. “He’s still new, and not very cunning, so he never saw it coming”.

“That’ll end someone’s career in one way or another”, Itsuki observed. 

“Or it’ll further the career of the person who messes with them enough so that it doesn’t work anymore”, Toa said.

“I’ll give you that one”, Itsuki said, unpausing the tv to watch the rest of the game. It passed relatively uneventfully until Toa was up to pitch in the later inning. 

“This looks familiar”, Itsuki said as Toa threw his first pitch. When the batter struck out and picked up the ball, Itsuki recognized what was going on. “Hey, this is where you made that guy bow to you in front of the whole stadium”, he said, looking over at Toa. “That was about the sanded ball, right?”

“Yeah”, Toa said, watching the events unfold, looking smug. “They tried to frame me. Didn’t work, though”.

“I could understand why you’d be pissed”, Itsuki said, watching Toa, the batter, and Ideguchi be patted down. “But it seems pretty over the top to have him bow like that”.

“It was”, Toa said. “But it put enough of their energy and attention on me that it made it easier for the whole team to crush them in future games”.

“You really were a monster, you know that?”, Itsuki asked, turning the tv off and facing Toa once more.

“Were?’, Toa asked.

“You’re not exactly intimidating right now”, Itsuki said, smirking. “You forgot to brush your hair while it was still wet. With it looking like that, I really do believe that it sticks up like that naturally”. Toa rolled his eyes at him, got up, and headed in the direction of the bedroom, presumably to tame the mess on his head. He was in there less than a minute before Itsuki heard something being slammed down on his dresser, and the sound of heavy footsteps in his direction.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”, Toa asked him sharply.

“Huh?”, Itsuki asked, leaning away from him. 

“This”, Toa said venemously, pointing to the bruise Itsuki and left on his neck that moring.

“You’re just now noticing that?”, Itsuki asked incredulously.

Toa drew his mouth into a tight line, narrowing his eyes at him. Itsuki had enough experience with pissing his mother off to know that that facial expression didn't spell anything good. 

“It’s really not that obvious”, Itsuki said nervously, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. “With your coach’s jacket on, nobody will see”.

Toa continued to glare at him from where he was standing, arms crossed, not moving an inch.

“Are you okay?”, Itsuki asked softly.

“I’m debating on whether to knock some sense into you or leave”, Toa said, anger still audible in his voice.

“I’m not going to stop you from leaving”, Itsuki said in the voice he usually reserved for Brooklyn when he was on the warpath. “But I am sorry about that. I wasn’t thinking at the time”. Toa was still staring him down, probably debating on the best way to skin him.

Luckily for Itsuki, Toa had more self control than Brooklyn. Toa approached the sofa, but ignored Itsuki, grabbing his pack of cigarettes instead and tapping it against his hand to get one out. He then walked over to the kitchen table and took a seat with his back to Itsuki. Itsuki hadn’t ever seen or heard of Toa getting this pissed off, but his irritation was palpable, bringing the temperature in the room down a few degrees. Itsuki chanced a glance over at Toa, seeing him examining the bruise on his neck in the reflection of his phone.

Itsuki turned back around, and willed himself to relax. He probably hadn’t ruined everything yet; it was a mistake to mark Toa in a place that was visible to others, but he couldn’t see Toa burning everything to the ground over a hickey. He was more level headed than that, Itsuki reasoned; it was doubtful that he’d retaliate over something that minor. 

Itsuki sat still for a little bit, giving Toa some space to calm down. He had apologized, and given Toa a solution to the predicament he got him into. Once Itsuki thought on it a bit more, he came to a possible conclusion from his outburst-- Toa was probably just being more honest with him than he was with others. He didn’t usually show his emotions in ways other people did; usually he twisted any expression or emotion he projected into a tool for manipulation or for taking advantage of others. Itsuki couldn’t say he liked the situation, but he could at least appreciate that Toa was being open with him.

Itsuki looked back over at Toa to check what he was doing. Thankfully, he was sitting at his kitchen table, with all the tension gone from his shoulders, and his head propped up on one of his hands. It was reassuring that he wasn’t rummaging around in Itsuki’s knife drawer.

“Are you-”, he started to ask, only to be cut off by Toa.

“I’m fine”, Toa said flatly. “It’s fine”.

Itsuki turned so that he was resting his back against the armrest of the sofa with Toa to his right. “Still”, he said, not knowing how to continue.

“It’s really not that big a deal”, Toa said with no affect.

Itsuki didn’t speak for a minute, reading the mood of the room instead. He was trying to analyze whatever signals Toa was sending out until he found a possible candidate. Toa was probably not too happy about the outburst. He was all about self-control, and he’d let it slip, if only for a minute. Itsuki sighed. 

He knew what to do when he upset Amami. He knew what to do when he upset Brooklyn. He had no ideas on how to deal with Toa. None at all. Just when he thought he was getting the hang of this, he had to be reminded of how little he knew about Toa.

Itsuki decided to go with his gut feeling on how to get past the situation. He got up and walked past Toa without acknowledging him, still giving him space. He started going through the fridge, getting out a few ingredients as he went. As he set to preheating the oven and prepping the food, he felt Toa staring at him.

“What are you doing?”, Toa asked him, only the barest hint of hesitation in his voice.

“Making a late lunch”, Itsuki said nonchalantly. “It’s been awhile since breakfast, and I’m getting hungry. You’re welcome to stay and eat with me”. He could practically feel Toa’s petulant stare behind him, confirming his suspicion in the reflection of the window in front of him. He’d picked that diffusing tactic up from his mother, and it’d come in handy more times than he could remember.

They didn’t acknowledge each other’s presence until Itsuki had his dish in the oven with the timer set. With that out of the way, he turned around and leaned up against the countertop and faced Tokuchi, figuring that he’d had enough time to get a grip.

“It really isn’t that big a deal”, Toa said quietly. “The bullpen coach comes in with hickeys all the time”.

“Mitsubishi?”, Itsuki asked.

“Yeah”, Toa confirmed. “He has some girlfriend twenty years younger than him hanging around every once in a while”.

“That explains why I’ve never seen him out of his jacket”, Itsuki said. “I wonder how his wife feels about that”.

“Relieved, from what I know”, Toa said. “Apparently she appreciates the time alone away from him”.

“That’s harsh”, Itsuki said lightly.

“Is it, though?”, Toa asked. “He’s an absolute nightmare to be around for a couple hours a day five days a week. Imagine what she goes through having to babysit him the rest of the time”.

“You raise a good point”, Itsuki said, nodding.

Deeming the situation now safe, Itsuki took the seat right across from Toa. “So what's been going on with the coaching staff lately?”, Itsuki asked, figuring it was a safe subject. 

“Nothing too notable”, Toa said. “It’s been a process to get everyone up to speed with the new plans of action, but it's going more smoothly than I had anticipated”. 

“That's good at least”, Itsuki said. He had noticed that things had been running a bit more smoothly the week or so. That probably had something to do with it. 

They fell back onto silence after that, but it didn't feel tense or nerve wracking like it had before. Itsuki stretched his legs out below the table, brushing Toa’s foot as he did so. He kept his eyes on the oven timer, not acknowledging his action. Toa stared at him for a few seconds before kicking at his foot. Itsuki pretended he hadn’t felt it, instead turning back to Toa and resting his head against the hand he had propped up on the table.

“So what are your plans today?”, Toa asked, glancing at him.

“Nothing too exciting”, Itsuki stated. “I mean, I was planning on fucking you again after lunch, but if you had anything else in mind, I’m game”.

Toa blinked at him slowly. “Why wait?”, he asked.

“Huh?”, Itsuki said, taken aback. That hadn’t been the reaction he was going for. Not that he was complaining just yet, though.

“You heard me”, Toa said with no affect. “Why wait?”

“I figured you were still a little pissed off at me”, Itsuki said.

“Oh, I am. But that does make things a little more interesting though, doesn’t it?”, Toa said, the faintest hint of a smirk crossing his face.

“You know what, Toa”, Itsuki said, leaning forward on his elbows. “I can’t find any arguments against that logic”.

“It’s a pretty common theme here, isn’t it?”, Toa asked, cocking his head slightly.

Itsuki was right about to say something seductive and witty when he heard the unmistakable notes to Elton John’s “The Bitch is Back” from Toa’s phone in the other room.

“Goddammit”, Toa muttered. “Wait a second. Imawano’s calling me”.

“I doubt he’d appreciate your choice of ringtone”, Itsuki said, resting his head in his hand. 

“Doubt it”, Toa said before answering. 

Toa stood still for a couple of minutes just listening. Itsuki strained a bit to hear what was being said, but other than catching little snippets of Imawano’s voice, he didn't catch anything. 

“Yeah. Fine”, Toa said, sounding exasperated. “I’ll be there”. 

“I'm guessing your time off is being cut short?”, Itsuki asked when Toa hung up. 

“Yeah”, Toa said, sounding irritated. “Some idiot went and ran his mouth to the wrong person, now they have to do an investigation and damage control”.

“Why do they need you for that?”, Itsuki asked after Toa as he headed to his bedroom.

“It tangentially involves me, and Imawano thinks I can do better damage control than the other idiots that it involves”, Toa answered from the other room. 

“He’s probably not wrong there”, Itsuki said, rolling his eyes. “You’ll no doubt be able to flip the situation and find some way to shift the blame or make yourself out to be the victim”.

“That’s rude, but probably true”, Toa said, emerging from the bedroom fully dressed and carrying his things. 

“Is it going to be some big thing?”, Itsuki asked. 

“Maybe”, Toa said. “It won’t affect you guys, though”.

“Good to hear”, Itsuki said, knowing all he needed to. “Good luck then”. 

“Thanks”, Toa said before slipping out the front door. 

Itsuki sat in silence for a couple minutes, trying to adjust to the sudden turn of events before he was startled by the oven timer going off. As he got his lunch out, he knew one thing was for certain. Coach Imawano was a goddamn cockblock.


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

Things had definitely been better for Toa. After he received the phone call from Imawano, he had dropped by his apartment to change into something a bit dressier than his t shirt and jeans, put on his coach’s jacket to hide Itsuki’s unfortunate slip in judgement, grabbed a suit as per Imawano’s instructions, then headed towards the stadium where the coaching and corporate staff would be waiting. As he drove, he ran through different scenarios and strategies he could use to minimize the damage to himself, and possibly shift the majority of the attention to someone else. As he pulled into the parking lot, he already noticed the news vans beginning to gather. That could work in his favor or to his detriment. He would soon find out. 

He walked with purpose through the inner hallways of the stadium, careful to dodge the multitude of staff already rushing around anxiously. This was definitely going to be a big ordeal. Toa sighed as he entered the already full meeting room designated for upper level staff. He took a seat at the back of the room in the last row. The room suddenly went silent as Owner Tsutsumishida walked in. 

“I'm sure all of you know why we’re here”, he said, sounding both tired and on the brink of a nervous meltdown. “There’s been a huge leak, and sensitive information is out involving just about everybody. Some worse than others”, he said, glancing at Toa. 

“How many of us are involved?”, Imawano asked from the front row. That right there told Toa something. If Imawano didn't know the full story, then the situation could be worse than he thought. 

“Thankfully, only one on our team”, Tsutsumishida said. “Other teams are much more affected than we are. Right now, we just have to do damage control for those involved. We also have to focus on our position in the league at the moment. Information regarding some happenings in both leagues from last season came out, which could reflect badly on the team. For the sake of this meeting, I'm asking all of you to be open and honest. This may be the last time we can meet unmonitored like this, so we might as well make the best of it”.

“Which individual?”, Coach Wantabe asked. “What happened last season?”

“The individual involved is Tokuchi Toa”, he said. “As for what happened last season, we will discuss that at a later time. I have to meet with the owners of the other teams to decide how to best handle that”, Tsutsumishida said, voice wavering. “I will inform you of our decision”. Toa resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the glances he was getting. Tadashi, a member of the corporate staff, was getting a similar treatment. 

“Won’t we find out what happened before then”, Coach Tabiro asked. “If there’s been a leak, how fast until the press finds out?”

“I'm afraid I don't know”, Tsutsumishida said. “In short, there was a move to merge the leagues last season, but it was stopped”.

“Well yes, we heard about it on the news”, a member of the corporate staff said. “The owner if that Galalians said he stopped the move”.

“It's complicated”, Tsutsumishida said. “We will attempt to resolve it internally. Don't make any decisions based off of what you see or hear. We don't know how truthful the released information was, or how well it will be presented”.

“Alright”, Imawano said. “Regarding Tokuchi, what is being released?”

“As for Tokuchi, it has come out that he had engaged in an illegal contract with the former owner of the Lycaons last season”, Tsutsumishida said, glaring at Toa. 

“Illegal?”, Imawano asked, shooting Toa a dangerous look. “In what way?”

“He engaged in a performance based contract that allowed him to defraud the Saikawa corporation and the Tronpos Group out of a great sum of money. That is apparently how he was able to purchase the team. Apparently he used baseball as another way to indulge in gambling”, Tsutsumishida said, disdain dropping from his voice. 

“It was a means to an end”, Toa drawled, finally speaking up. “You know how Saikawa was. You know what the Tronpos Group was going to do. I didn't want the team to be dissolved or run into the ground, so I did what I had to do”.

“That's terrible reasoning, but it does make some sense”, Vice President Tanaka said. “Don't get me wrong”, he said defensively as Tsutsumishida sent him a withering stare. “It was bad, and dirtied the name of baseball, but we can spin it like he did a morally grey thing for the right reason, can't we?”

“That's an excellent point”, Tsutsumishida said, nodding. “I have no doubt that Tokuchi and our PR firm will gloss this over. After all, they both have plenty of experience hiding dirty work”, he said, taking another shot at Toa. 

“Still, though”, Coach Wantabe said, speaking directly to Toa. “What were you planning on doing with the money had your plan failed? Would you have returned it or invested it back into the team?”, he asked.

“Hell no”, Toa said, internally revelling in the disgusted murmurs throughout the room. They couldn't say he was dishonest that time. 

“This is disgusting”, an older man said, standing up. “Baseball was never like this when I started. This is just a dirty situation caused by dirty people”.

“It's always been like this, and it always will be”, Toa said. “Just because you were too stupid to see it until now doesn't mean we waltzed in and mucked it up”.

“Shut up, Tokuchi”, Imawano said. “You are absolutely not helping yourself right now”.

“He asked me to be honest”, Toa said, jerking his head at Tsutsumishida. “I'm just doing what my boss asks me to do”.

“I swear to god, Tokuchi”, Tsutsumishida said, gritting his teeth. “I should fire you where you stand”. 

“Feel free”, Toa said flippantly. “Then the press would wonder why you hired me, as they'd assume you already knew about my contract last year. It would probably look even worse considering I was promoted and have been doing very well recently. Cutting your losses would be a mistake here”, he said, knowing Tsutsumishida wouldn't call his bluff. 

Toa noted the looks he was getting from the rest of the people in the room. He wasn't too concerned; he had dealt with worse. Judging by the footsteps he was hearing towards the interview room, members of the press were arriving, which would hopefully cut the meeting short. He ignored the other questions Tsutsumishida was fending off. He had plans to make.

 

Itsuki’s day was looking up. After Imawano ruined his chances of getting laid again, he had decided to get out of his apartment. Thankfully, Amami and Thomas had been amicable, and had agreed to meet up at a sports bar that was a local favorite. They were recognized, but allowed their privacy. Things were all well and good until one of the large screen televisions stationed on the sports channel started flashing the breaking news logo, followed by a couple of commentators and anchorman in front of the baseball league logo. 

“Oh god, what now”, Thomas groaned.

“What makes you think it’s bad?”, Amami asked from beside him.

“We’ve had it too good for too long”, Thomas said. 

“What makes you think it’s about us?”, Itsuki asked.

“Like I said, we’ve had it too good for too long”, Thomas explained.

“Shut up and watch, it’s probably nothing”, Amami said, just before Toa’s picture came up in the upper left hand corner of the screen, followed by several other high profile names in baseball. “Well shit”, he said, ignoring the pointed look Thomas shot his way.  
The news anchor glossed over details of the leak and some of the information it contained, promising a more in depth story and live interviews shortly. 

“Apparently they'll tell us why that stupid trade happened”, Thomas said, taking a drink of his previously forgotten beer.

“I wouldn’t mind knowing more about that”, Amam said, leaning back in his chair, glancing over at Itsuki. “Apparently they have some information on how Tokuchi managed to get the money to buy the Lycaons”, giving him a pointed look. “Know anything about that?”

“No, why would I?”, Itsuki asked.

Amami gave him a flat look. “You know goddamn well why”, he said.

“I really don’t”, Itsuki said. “I know I brought him here, but I really don’t know much about him”.

“I’m not sure if I buy that”, Thomas said, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Guys, what are you talking about?”, Itsuki murmured, smiling nervously.

“Haven’t you been sleeping with him?”, Amami asked. 

“Huh”, Itsuki muttered, mind going blank.

“You’re not really great at hiding your feelings”, Thomas said. “Tokuchi’s a blank slate, so it took a lot longer for us to catch on, but with you it’s pretty obvious”.

Itsuki’s brain finally kicked back into gear, but he couldn’t come up with anything more intelligent than “What makes you think that?”

“I’ve known you forever and Thomas is around you all the time”, Amami said by means of an explanation. “We know what you’re like when you’re up to something, and you haven't been helping your case lately”.

“Oh”, Itsuki said, realizing there was no sense in denying it. “How many people know?”

“Just the three of us”, Thomas said.

“Not Brooklyn?”, Itsuki asked. Thomas usually confided in him more than he did Itsuki. Probably the whole foreigner thing.

“Nope”, Thomas responded. “He’s oblivious, and I’m not about to tell him something that’ll either end in a murder or the refracturing of the whole team”. 

“Thanks for that”, Itsuki said weakly as more loud noises from the tv went off, prompting them to pay attention in hopes of more information.

 

Once Toa put on his suit in the changing room with the rest of the staff waiting to be interviewed, he realized there way a bit of a problem. He glanced once more in the mirror, and sighed. The hickey Itsuki had left that morning was well above the collar of his shirt, marring his usually pale skin with inky purples and reds. Imawano was going to flip shit. When Toa walked out into the meeting room, he was quickly proven right. 

“Goddammit, Tokuchi”, Imawano spat, glaring at his neck. “I thought you were out of high school”.

“Apparently not”, Toa said, shrugging.

“Just go put on your uniform”, Imawano said, shaking his head. “With your jacket. You’ll stick out, but at least you won’t embarrass the team more than you already have”.

“Sounds good”, Toa said, feeling relieved. Once he was changed into something a little less revealing, he headed out into the interview room to meet Imawano, Tsutsumishida, and a couple of other higher ranking staff. He knew that the team’s PR representative had already talked to them, but apparently they thought he was competent enough to weasel his way through this on his own. Either that, or they thought he would hang himself out to dry. Once they were situated at the front of the room, Tsutsumishida cleared his throat and began to speak.

“I’m sure all of you are curious as to what happened last season”, he said, keeping his voice even for once. “As for that, Tokuchi will be able to answer all of your questions”, he finished, looking at Toa pointedly. Toa narrowed his eyes at him. They really were trying to hang him out to dry. Their mistake, though. Tsutsumishida really would have been better off not letting Toa speak at all.

“I’ll speak about the plans to restructure the league last season”, Toa said, gears spinning. He needed to throw the other team owners under the bus, but Tsutsumishida less so. It wouldn’t do to bite the hand that fed him without setting up some safeguards. “Tanabe, who owns the Galalians, had a plan to restructure the league so that he would be able to control the league from the shadows”, Toa continued, ignoring the stiffening of Tsutsumishida’s posture. “Tsutsumishida was the only one against the merger. As you all know, I came to own the Lycaons soon after this merger was to occur. Tsutsumishida and I were the only ones standing in the way of that disaster, but fortunately, we were able to stop it through our hard work and resilience”.

Tsutsumishida audibly sighed, giving him a grateful look. There would no doubt be blowback from other team owners, but given Toa’s reputation with the media, he would probably come out on top in the end.

“What about your contract?”, a reporter in the front row asked.

“That was part of the plan”, Toa said, only telling half a lie. “When I joined the Lycaons, I found that the teams poor management was the primary factor in their lack of success. I intended to work with the Tronpos Group to ensure that the Saikawa Group was unable to afford to keep the Lycaons, so they could buy it and improve the infrastructure. Unfortunately as you all know, they never intended to keep the team. So I took the money from the contract and bought the team myself. From there on out, everything I did was to improve the functioning of the team, and as you can see, It worked”, Toa said, stepping back. He had said all he needed to say.

“What would you have done with the money if the Tronpos hadn’t decided to gut the team?”, a reporter asked. 

“I would have given what wouldn't have been my salary to the Tronpos to restructure the team”, Toa said, lying through his teeth. That earned him some looks from his colleagues. 

“Why did you get involved in the restructuring of the league(?)” another reporter asked. “Aren't you a little young to get involved in business of that level?”

“Maybe”, Toa said, shrugging. “It didn't stop me though”. 

“Why did you transfer to the Mariners?” the first reporter asked. 

“That’s irrelevant”, Toa responded. “Next question”.

“Why did you get involved in the restructuring of the league? I understand why you wouldn’t want your team to be restructured, but why get involved in some huge conspiracy?”, a female reporter asked. 

“I didn’t want to be told what to do by some guy”, Toa responded. “I like to follow my own rules, so participating in the restructure wouldn't work well for me”.

“Okay”, she said slowly. “Are you still gambling?”

“How is that even a question?”, Toa asked shrugging his shoulders. “Is that supposed to be rhetorical?” Toa ignored the glares the other staff members sent his way; being rude on television would probably look bad to them, but it would serve its purpose well.

“What was your involvement in the restructuring of the league, specifically?”, the same reporter asked, looking at Tsutsumishida, probably discouraged from asking Tokuchi any more questions. From then, most questions were directed at Tsutsumishida or other members of corporate. Toa and Imawano hung back, giving only perfunctory answers when questions were directed at them. Toa had said his piece. He honestly didn't want the media attention at the moment. He had games to plan and emotions to repress.


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

Toa returned to his apartment later that night thoroughly exhausted. He had assumed that the interviews would be frequent and intense, but he hadn't expected them to be so long. The fact that he was talking about himself and his own motivations didn't help. He didn't mind talking about other people and their flaws or weaknesses, but talking about his own took an emotional toll on him that he just wasn't used to. It didn't help that he was not at all used to being emotionally drained. 

He kicked off his shoes and shuffled into his room, feeling defeated despite the success on his side of the interviews. Whoever had leaked the information needed to pay, but he had no doubt that powers beyond his own were dead set on making that happen before he could lift a finger. He stripped down to his underwear and crawled between the sheets, pulling them tight around himself. He had another few rounds of interviews the next day before Tsutsumishida put an end to it in an attempt to squash the gossip. He was too tired for that shit already. 

Toa woke up the next morning feeling groggy and discontented. He hadn't slept well, and he would have to go out again and face the vultures who would no doubt tear into him to find out his deeper motivations and his personal life. What they didn't know was that his motivations usually could be explained by “Because I felt like it”, and his personal life with “Gambling and sleeping around”. He wasn't that deep to those who knew him even a little, and he intended to keep it that way. No reason to go shouting his every thought, motivation, and action to the world. 

Groaning, he rolled out of bed and put his coaches uniform back on to hide the still purpling bruise on his neck. He was going to kick Takami’s ass for that. He glanced at his phone, but no new calls or messages from Itsuki. He had no doubt seen the news; it was possible that he was pissed at Toa for not telling him. He plodded his way out to his car, and with a sigh, he headed out to another day of bullshit. 

Hours later, Toa sat down for his last interview with a reporter known for her gimmicks for finding out private information about her interviewees. She had attempted to find out where he was really from, whether or not he was single, and what he did in his spare time that didn't involve baseball or gambling. So far, he had been a wall of steel, not letting anything phase him. She knew what she needed to know already; the interview was just a farce. 

“So how did you feel when you were drafted into the Mariners after being released from the Lycaons?”, she asked dramatically, changing her strategy. 

“I was excited for the new challenge”, he said, keeping his stony facade. 

“What about your old teammates?”, she asked. “How has your relationship been with them?”

“We parted amicably”, he responded, wondering what she was up to. “We don't have a relationship anymore”. 

“Is that so?”, she asked quietly, pupils dilating. “What about your relationship with your parents? It's been quite some time since you've been in contact with them. I'm sure they're worried about you”. That got a reaction out of Toa, if only internally. He felt his heart stutter, and he felt his blood go cold. 

“My parents and I are fine”, he said. “I have no idea where you got that information from, but it is false”, he said, keeping his voice as even as possible.

“Then why did you live with your grandparents for high school?”, she asked, smile absolutely venomous. It was true that they had been estranged for some time, and that he had lived with his grandparents. He was currently in communication with them, and had seen them pretty recently. How she had gotten that information, he had absolutely no idea. 

“That's private”, Toa began, “But I lived with my grandparents because they were closer to the school I went to, and my parents had to live far away for work. We have had no issues with our relationship”.

They looked at each other for a couple of minutes, neither refusing to back down. Steely gaze met steely gaze until the reporter sat back in her seat and giggled. “That's it for me, I guess”, she said. “Thank you for your time”. Toa shook her hand, squeezing it possibly a bit too hard, but he felt no shame. 

That asshole had gotten a reaction out of him, no matter how small. She probably felt like she had won, somehow. That just didn't feel right to Toa. He left the studio feeling gutted knowing that someone who knew him well enough to know about his secondary school years was blabbing things to the media. That could be very dangerous for him. 

He went home and wondered listlessly around his apartment waiting for her interview to hit the media. He didn't have long. Maybe an hour or so. He flipped the tv on to the sci fi channel in an attempt to avoid any sports or news channels. A while later just as he was watching a seemingly human man get his head blown off in a shower of green goo, he heard his phone buzz. He groaned, noting the texts and calls from family members and older friends he had muted for the occasion. 

He answered the phone, seeing it was one of the few people he hadn't muted. 

“Hey Itsuki”, he said lazily, not wanting him to think that he was compromised in any way. 

“Hey Toa, holy shit”, Itsuki said. “What the hell was that bitch thinking?” 

“Looking for a scoop”, Toa said. “I don't think she got too much, though”, he said, feeling his pulse betray his cool demeanor. 

“Listen, that was really intrusive and intense, okay?”, Itsuki practically shouted, making Toa hold the phone a good couple of inches away from his ear. 

“It's like that sometimes”, Toa responded. 

“Do you want some company?”, Itsuki asked, lowering his voice as if he could sense Toa’s annoyance. Toa started to say no, but stopped himself short. He didn't need anything. He was fine. But for some reason, he heard himself say yes. 

Before he knew it, he had hung up. He resisted the urge to slap himself; he had always been so good at impulse control, so why was it slipping at the most inopportune moment? He exhaled sharply, unlocked the door, then laid down on the floor to stare up at the ceiling. It had been an old habit of his when he was younger to deal with stress. He wasn't particularly stressed, but it still felt right; he’d just get up when Itsuki came over. 

Some time later, he heard the doorknob jiggle, then open. Itsuki looked down at him, somewhat surprised. “Sorry, I thought it would be locked”, he explained. “I just wanted to get your attention without being too loud”. 

“You’re fine”, Toa said, beginning to sit up. 

“You don't have to do that”, Itsuki said, lying down beside him. “I do it too when I'm stressed”.

“I'm not stressed”, Toa countered, situating himself back on the floor. 

“Okay”, Itsuki said. 

They laid there in silence for some time before Itsuki spoke up. “She got me too, a few years back. Outed me on national television”. 

“Shit”, Toa said. “I wouldn't have interviewed with her if I knew she did that to you”.

“I honestly thought you knew”, Itsuki said, looking at him. “Everybody does. Occasionally some newer players will slip through, but after that, she was basically blacklisted. I wasn’t really affected, of course, but it still should have been my decision to make. Same with you and that stuff about your parents”.

Toa stiffened. “It should never have been brought up at all”, he said slowly. “She made it sound scandalous in a way it wasn't”.

“She does that”, Itsuki agreed. “If you want to talk about it, I’ll listen”.

“Not really, but I just want to set something straight”, Toa began, glancing at Itsuki, who nodded at him. “My parents and I didn't get along well when I was younger. It was causing problems with the rest of the family, so I moved to Okinawa to live with my grandparents. There was an extremely good school nearby, so I went there. That way we would have an excuse for why we took some time to cool off”.

“Why didn’t you get along, if you don't mind my asking?”, Itsuki responded. 

“I'm not what they expected”, Toa said. “I was always really good at school, so they expected me to be well behaved. I wasn't. It really wasn't enough for them that I got straight A's. They wanted me to stop hanging out with the kids I would fight and gamble with. I was bad at following rules and curfews. Still am”, he added, smiling a bit. “It's a lot better now that they know I can make a life for myself with the skills they hated, but it can still be tough sometimes”.

“That sounds tough”, Itsuki said. “I can empathize. With how other people’s expectations and what you want can clash, I mean”, he said, scooting closer so they were touching shoulders. “My parents wanted me to be a software engineer. I went to school for it, but I played baseball the entire time. They thought it would just be something interesting to put on a resume, but when I was drafted, they flipped shit”.

“That's why you knew about the database”, Toa said, understanding. 

“Hey”, Itsuki said, blush spreading slowly across his face. “Now that I know one of your secrets, wanna know one of mine?” Toa paused, then nodded. “We beat you last season because I designed, built, and programmed a pitching machine that mimicked you exactly, down to the ball types”. 

Toa looked over at him for a moment, raising an eyebrow. “Are you fucking with me right now?”

“Nope”, Itsuki said, looking like he was trying and failing to suppress a grin. 

“I can't believe this shit”, Toa said, looking back up at the ceiling. 

“What, that I beat you with a machine?”, Itsuki asked pleasantly. 

“No, Toa said. “I'm can't believe that I've been sleeping with a fucking nerd”. Itsuki looked at him for a moment in disbelief before sitting up. 

“I’m a nerd?”, he cried. “You do math for fun!”

“Statistics is a vital part of gambling, which is not nerdy at all”.

“Yes it is!” Itsuki continued. “At least I played sports in high school. You were basically a renegade mathlete!”

“You’re so rude”, Toa said. “You come here to support me, and you call me a nerd”.

Itsuki looked at him for a moment with an incomprehensible look on his face. “If you want to act like a kid, then so will I”, he finally said before licking his hand and wiping it on Toa’s face. Toa groaned in disgust, rolling over to wipe his face off on his shirt. 

“You are disgusting, and a nerd. I still can't believe you called me a nerd”, he muttered, glaring at Itsuki over his shoulder. 

“You called me a nerd first!”, Itsuki said, laughing. 

“Because I meant it!”, Toa responded, no longer able to hold in his laughter. 

“Let’s just agree that we are both disgusting nerds”, Itsuki said, shrugging.

“I'll acquiesce to the nerd part, but disgusting?”, Toa asked. 

“You spat my own come in my mouth after that one blowjob”, Itsuki said. “Absolutely disgusting”. 

“Goddammit, fine”, Toa said, lying back down. Itsuki laid back down beside him, jovial mood suddenly gone. 

Toa and Itsuki laid on the floor for another few minutes, just staring up at the ceiling and watching the fan blades pass slowly through the beams of fading light streaming through the windows. Toa breathed out long and slow, letting the last of the tension melt from his body. Itsuki turned his head to gaze at him, but Toa wasn’t ready to acknowledge him quite yet. He had talked more about himself in the past ten minutes than he had in the past five years. Itsuki didn't break the silence, but he still didn't look away. 

Itsuki slowly slid his hand up to rest by Toa’s face. Toa looked over at him but didn’t brush him off, even when Itsuki cupped the side of his face in his hand. Itsuki rolled over onto his side, moving closer to Toa than he had dared to earlier. Toa rolled over to face him, trapping his hand against the floor.

“Is this ok?”, he asked softly, voice just above a whisper as he brushed his other hand down Toa’s face to rest lightly on his neck. Toa nodded slightly, and met Itsuki’s lips with his own. Itsuki kissed him gently, pulling him slightly closer. Toa didn't fight him, instead resting his free hand on Itsuki’s shoulder to help him along. Toa opened his mouth slightly, letting Itsuki briefly flick his tongue against his own. 

Toa let Itsuki kiss him slowly for a time, but as he got more impatient, he deepened the kiss, trailing his hand down Itsuki’s stomach. “I'm open to this, but maybe not on the floor”, he said, pulling back.

“That's understandable”, Itsuki said, pulling back. “What do you suggest?”

“Hm”, Toa replied before grabbing Itsuki’s outstretched hand and hauling him off the floor. “We’ll see”.

Itsuki followed him as he walked into his bedroom, eyes wide and glassy. Toa turned to face him, sitting down on the end of his bed. Itsuki wordlessly sat beside him, and kissed him again, harder this time. Toa wrapped his arm around Itsuki’s neck, pulling him closer. Toa felt his mind go fuzzy around the edges when Itsuki buried one hand in his hair and placed the other on his thigh, squeezing gently. 

“You wanna do this?”, Itsuki asked softly, pulling away from him. 

“Yeah”, Toa replied. Itsuki moved over to Toa’s bedside table to grab a condom and the lube. Toa sat on the side of the bed watching Itsuki as he tried to control his heartbeat. He was feeling the heat in his chest pretty intensely. Itsuki crawled over to him and pushed him over onto his back. “Pretty sure we need to undress first”, Toa said playfully, masking his apprehension. 

“Shit, good point”, Itsuki said, standing up. They were both naked in record time. 

“How do you want to do this?”, Toa asked, sitting down on the side of the bed. 

“I was thinking you could ride me, that way you have more control”, Itsuki said, brushing his hair out of his face. 

“That works for me”, Toa said, making a grab for the lube just before Itsuki pulled it away. 

“I was actually thinking that I could do this part”, Itsuki said as his blush became more defined. 

“Oh?”, Toa prompted. 

“I have a bit more experience in that regard”, Itsuki said by means of an explanation. 

“That makes sense, I guess”, Toa said, pushing himself further back onto the bed with a moment of hesitation. He didn't know what to do with himself, so he just leaned back on his elbows as Itsuki approached him. 

“Let me know if it’s too uncomfortable”, he said as he prodded at Toa’s hole with a warm, slick finger. Toa relaxed like he had seen his partners do in the past, cringing only slightly as Itsuki slid a finger into him. He had tried it on himself a couple of times, but it had been weird and uncomfortable and ultimately a waste of time. Itsuki looked down at him with something in his eyes that made him ever so slightly uncomfortable, so he allowed his eyes to slip shut as Itsuki fully pushed into him. Toa hissed as Itsuki slowly moved inside him, sending small warm jolts up his spine as he did so. 

“Feel okay?”, Itsuki asked as he withdrew his finger to add more lube. 

“It's okay”, Toa said, still feeling a little strange. Itsuki nodded, then pulled him close so that his legs were splayed on either side of Itsuki where he was kneeling. He pushed back in again, this time moving a bit faster and pushing a bit rougher. Toa didn't feel the same soreness as before, instead becoming hyper aware of how the warmth in his stomach spread out into his chest and limbs, how his breathing became shallow and uneven, and how he was beginning to feel the flush on his face spread down towards his chest. He was relaxing on his own without any conscious effort, which he hadn't anticipated at all. 

Finally, Itsuki curled his finger, making Toa jolt at the sudden overwhelming, almost painful jolt of pleasure shooting up his spine. He gasped out loud, jerking in response. Itsuki looked like the cat that caught the canary. 

“Not that hard”, Toa said, feeling a bit embarrassed at how breathless he sounded already. 

“Noted”, Itsuki replied. “Think you’re ready?”

Toa did a mental once over. He was wide open, which made him feel something that he didn't yet have a name for, but with how turned on he was, he was feeling ready for anything. “Yeah”, he said, not trusting his voice not to betray him if he spoke for too long. 

“Okay”, Itsuki said. “Get over here”, he added after lying down, sliding a condom over his cock and lubing it up.

Toa paused, then crawled over to him, straddling Itsuki’s waist with his cock brushing his ass. “Go ahead”, Itsuki said, blushing bright red as he placed his hands on Toa’s hips. Toa complied as he placed one hand on his chest and rose up, guiding Itsuki’s dick to rest right below him. He paused one last time before closing his eyes and sinking down on him slowly. 

At first, the pressure nearly winded him as he was stretched too wide, too far open. As he got a little further down, he opened his eyes to see that Itsuki had his closed, hands gripping his hips so tightly it hurt. He was probably straining to not thrust up into him immediately; he knew the feeling. Toa slowly lifted up, taking his time getting used to Itsuki’s impressive girth. When he felt stretched enough, he sank down lower, earning a strained moan from Itsuki. 

“God, just get on with it”, he moaned, rolling his hips into Toa, making him let out a small noise. 

“Be patient for once In your life, I can stop at any time, you know”, Toa hissed, digging his fingernails into Itsuki’s chest, leaving red welts in their wake. Despite his warning, Toa sank down to the base of Itsuki’s dick, groaning as he felt himself become impossibly full. He felt his knees and thighs go weak for a moment, then resumed pushing himself up and down, increasing his speed incrementally as he went. 

“God, you’re amazing”, Itsuki said, clutching his hips as Toa fucked himself on his cock. “I can't believe how good you feel”. If Toa wasn't moaning before, he was then. He felt his breathing go ragged as he made small sounds that he could no longer stifle. So much for being quiet during sex. After he managed to get to the point where he could go from the tip to the base of Itsuki’s dick with no feelings of discomfort, Itsuki started to thrust up into him, using his grip on Toa’s hips as leverage. 

“Is this okay?”, he asked as he shifted his position slightly. 

“Yea- fuck”, Toa choked out as Itsuki thrust right into his prostate, sending a sudden flash of pleasure up his spine and into his gut. “Don’t stop”, he ordered, adjusting his hands so he could balance better. Before long, he heard his bed began to creak with the momentum they were building. He felt Itsuki run one of his hands up his waist and past his chest to cup his face. Toa shook it off, but Itsuki grabbed him by the chin, jerking his head to face him. “Don’t look away from me”, Itsuki said, voice slightly deeper than before. 

Toa could have disobeyed him, but instead he stared down at him, enjoying the way his face twisted in pleasure every time Toa took him to the base, and how his eyelids fluttered when he scratched at his chest. But before too long, Toa sank down fully onto Itsuki but couldn't rise up again. 

“You okay?”, Itsuki asked, looking a bit concerned. 

“I don't think I can move my legs anymore”, Toa said, realizing that his new office job didn't come with the same perks as being an athlete. 

“There’s your famous stamina”, Itsuki said, smirking. 

“I'll have you know my stamina”s just fine”, Toa said, glancing down to his still hard dick.  
“Okay”, Itsuki said mirthfully before lifting Toa off him. “Lie down on your back. I got this”, he said as he pulled out. 

For once Toa did as he was told, spreading his legs so Itsuki could rest between them. “Tell me if I need to slow down”, Itsuki said before unceremoniously slamming into him, drawing a strangled moan from Toa. He fucked him thoroughly for an indeterminate amount of time, making him feel his impending orgasm in a way he hadn't before. Toa felt warmth spread through him as Itsuki thrust into him. He was so absorbed in the experience that he didn't even mind the sweat dripping from Itsuki down onto his stomach. 

Finally, Itsuki hit the perfect spot one last time causing Toa’s body to tense up as he came over his and Itsuki’s stomachs. Itsuki fucked him through his orgasm, making it last longer than it should have until he finally came to a rest inside him, moaning out loud as he came. Toa thought briefly of his neighbors, but that thought was quickly chased away when Itsuki kissed him, cock still inside him. Toa kissed Itsuki back with more fervor than he had in a long time. When they finally pulled back, Itsuki wiped his mouth and looked at Toa like he was the only man on earth. 

Toa allowed it for a moment before he pushed Itsuki away, pulling out in the process. They were silent for a few minutes afterwards. Itsuki tied the condom off and threw it away before going to the bathroom and fetching a washcloth for Toa, who accepted it gratefully. After cleaning up, Itsuki laid down beside him. 

“Fuck”, he said. 

“Same here”, Toa said, having finally caught his breath. 

“That was really amazing”, Itsuki said, looking at him. “Thanks for that”.

“Same goes to you”, Toa replied. “It was better than I thought it would be”.

“That’s it?”, Itsuki asked in mock outrage. “We have mind blowing sex, and you tell me that you had low expectations?”

“I actually had very high expectations”, Toa replied. “Take it as a compliment”.

“Ah, fine”, Itsuki responded, rolling over to face him. “Sorry about those”, he said, referencing the finger shaped bruises beginning to form on his hips. 

“It's ok”, Toa said. “I got you back this time”, he said, smiling as he pointed to the array of red welts his fingernails had left across Itsuki’s chest.

“Goddammit, that's going to raise questions”, he muttered. “I can't really get mad at you then, can I?”

“No, you can't”, Toa said, smirking. “An eye for an eye”.

“Then you’ll have to beat me up a bit more to make us totally even, then”, Itsuki said, smiling. 

“Don't worry”, Toa said. “ I fully intend to do just that”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note: Even though it's the year 2000 in this au, there's no homophobia   
> because I'm gay and it's  
> self careヽ(´ー｀)┌


End file.
